The Boy With The Blue Eyes
by Huff The Puff
Summary: Rachel had been watching The Boy With The Blue Eyes (Or Twinkle Tush as Santana would call him) for a week now. But it took a week for Santana to finally reveal who this mysterious boy was and why there was no future for any friendship between them. But nothing as simple as a warning could stop Rachel Berry. (Warnings: Mild language / Finchel /Dantana / Possible Hummelberry)
1. The Boy With The Blue Eyes

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Glee nor any of it's characters.**

**Huff here, with another Glee related Fanfiction. You will eventually see Finn, perhaps in the next chapter ;) But ideas for this story are welcome, whether they be in the form of review or message!**

**Make sure to let me know what you thought of the first chapter (:**

**-Huff x**

It had been an entire week since he had first started coming into the diner. An entire week since I had pushed Santana aside and insisted that I take the boys order.

"A cream cheese and salmon bagel -" He would say, pointing out the sandwich on the menu with his finger. "And a mocha. Thank you." He would then nod at me politely from his usual booth, slip his rectangular glasses back on and turn back to his Vogue fashion magazine.

He had been sitting in the same booth, ordering the same sandwich and the same coffee for a week now. The only things that had changed were his eccentric clothing choices and his edition of Vogue magazine.

"He's so obviously gay, Rachel," Santana told me one morning as he walked in through the front door.

"You don't know that," I whispered, punching an order number into the cash register.

"Actually I do," She replied impatiently, casting a scathing glance at The Boy With The Blue Eyes.

"If it's the jeans -" He was wearing bright turquoise skinny jeans today that really brought out his eyes. "Then yes, I can see where you're coming from but have you ever thought perhaps he just likes bright colors?"

"Rachel -"

I handed her the customers receipt before she could finish her sentence. "Could you take that to table four please? I'm going to go take his order." I smiled at her kindly, walking towards The Boy With The Blue Eyes with a slight bounce in my step.

Since his first day here Santana and I had resorted to calling him nicknames as neither of us were sure of his actual name. I'd decided on The Boy With The Blue Eyes, whereas Santana had decided on Twinkle Tush.

"Good morning, sir." I smiled politely once I has reached his table. He was wearing a plain white shirt today that he had buttoned up to the collar with a skinny turquoise tie that matched his trousers. I partially wondered why he had toned it down a bit for today.

"Good morning," He said courteously, glancing up at me. "How are you today?"

"I'm good thanks, how about you?"

He nodded, checking his watch quickly. "I'm fine, thank you."

As he ordered his food I payed a remarkable amount of attention studying his rather peculiar watch. The strap was fairly ordinary, just plain black leather. But the clock face was a picture of Mickey Mouse's smiling face. It looked completely out of place behind the silver numbers and hands.

"Unusual watch," I said after I had finished writing down his usual order that I knew off by heart.

He looked down at it again hastily to make sure it was still there, then back up to me, his eyes searching. "It reminds me to never grow old and bitter." He laughed loudly. A grin easily crept onto my lips. "And Mickey here, was the first ever prominent figure – or mouse – that showed it was okay for men to have high voices. And I'm sure you've noticed by now that I don't have a very deep voice."

I looked down at the watch again, secretly thanking it as it had gotten The Boy With The Blue Eyes to speak some more.

"I like your voice," I said. "It's a welcome change."

He grinned widely. I liked the way his cheeks creased when he smiled, it was cute.

"Thank you."

I walked away towards the kitchen, pinning up The Boy's order and finding Santana who was standing behind the cash register. I knew she had been watching our conversation like a lioness might it's prey. I made my way back over to her.

"Right, I've got something to tell you about Twinkle Tush," She said icily. "He used to go to McKinley."

I had to stop a loud skeptical laugh escaping from my mouth. "Sure, Santana. I think if a boy that cute had ever gone to McKinley I would of noticed."

"No – You wouldn't of!" She said persistently. "He transferred after Freshman year because your beloved boyfriend, your ex boyfriend and their football cronies were tossing him into dumpsters every day."

"Finn wouldn't do that, Santana."

"This was the age before Glee Club, Rachel. Finn was just as pig headed as Puck. Is it really that hard to believe he would throw Twinkle Tush over there into a dumpster?"

I glanced back at The Boy With The Blue Eyes and then thought back to Finn, how he had been before Mr. Schue had reformed the Glee Club. It was scarily easy to imagine him throwing The Boy With The Blue Eyes into a dumpster.

"If he went to McKinley then where did he transfer?" I asked, still slightly skeptical.

"Dalton," said Santana quickly. "Don't tell me you didn't notice him dancing behind that Harry Potter loser or the one who threw rock salt in Sam's eye at Sectionals and Regionals."

"Do you know his name?"

"No. I think we'll just stick with Twinkle Tush." I rolled my eyes. "Look Rachel," She continued, walking around the counter to meet me. "You're probably going to hate me for this but it's necessary before you fall completely off the wagon and start knitting him hats that look like sheep's bladders."

"What are you doing?" I asked as she walked towards The Boy With The Blue Eyes.

Santana reached his table and said something to him that I couldn't quite hear over the usual chatter of the other tables. Whatever she had said had caused The Boy to look very disturbed. She said something else to him causing him to jump out of his seat and the money for the sandwich and coffee to clatter onto the table. He pushed shrewdly past Santana and walked out of the front door as quickly as one could possibly walk.

Santana walked back towards me, a large smug look plastered onto her face.

"I'm not expecting to see him for quite some time."

"What did you do?!" I whispered angrily.

She smiled. "Just gave him a blast from the past."

**In tribute to Cory Monteith xxx**


	2. Blaine Warbler

**I think this is the quickest I've ever updated a story? Wow. **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this story! Reviews are always welcome as are ideas.**

**Also! For any Hummelberry geeks I highly suggest you read the story From Lead Vocalist To Lead Vocalist by Myhummelberryheart. I'm even going to put a little link to this wondrous story right here: s/8952846/1/From-Lead-Vocalist-to-Lead-Vocalist**

**Highly recommend it.**

**Anyway, enjoy this story and let me know what you thought via review!**

**-Huff x**

It had been three days and four hours until I saw The Boy With The Blue Eyes again. For those three days and four hours I had been giving Santana the silent treatment for scaring him away. How she had scared him away was still beyond me, but he was walking through the front doors of the diner rather nervously, so it couldn't of frightened him too badly.

I caught Santana's eye across the room. She shook her head briskly but I was already making my way over to him with a menu in hand.

"Nice to see you again." I smiled, handing him the ruby red menu.

He glanced up at me, his perfect eyes twinkling. "I just couldn't stay away." He returned the smile, repeating his usual order for me to write down.

"I'm a vegetarian so I've never tried the cream cheese and salmon bagel. It must be good if you decided to come back after my friend scared you off," I admitted, partially wondering what this magnificent bagel must taste like.

He smirked at me saying, "The bagel's okay. But it's not the reason I keep coming back." He slipped his glasses on, pulling a copy of Vogue out of his shoulder bag.

My face grew warm as I walked away, pinning the usual order up on my way back to the counter. I felt Santana grab my arm as I was half way across the room.

"Why are you blushing?" She asked accusingly, looking over my shoulder at The Boy With The Blue Eyes whose eyes were completely transfixed on his magazine.

"He's just a nice boy," I replied firmly, pulling my arm free of her grip and rounding the counter.

"A nice boy whose been flirting with you," She said following me to the counter.

"He wasn't -"

"You've got a boyfriend, remember? Cottage Cheese? You're not supposed to flirt with other guys when you're in a relationship. Especially not boys who look like they have a magazine cut out of Leonardo Di Caprio on their mirror."

"I didn't flirt with anybody," I said, typing in The Boy With The Blue Eyes' order. "And besides, you do it all the time."

"And all of my relationships just involve hooking up and moving on."

"Okay fair point," I agreed as my phone began ringing. "Cover for me?" I asked pleadingly.

Santana rolled her eyes but nodded reluctantly as she said, "Hurry up then."

I quickly rushed out of the diner, walking a little bit down the street until I was a reasonable distance away from the entrance. I answered the call.

"And why are you calling me?" I asked playfully, waiting to hear my beautiful boyfriend's voice on the other end.

"Do I need an excuse now?" asked Finn teasingly.

"Of course not," I said. "What time to do you get off of work today?"

"Five. But I'm going out with Oscar at seven, unless you had any plans for us tonight?"

"No, you go out with your friend." I smiled to myself, pleased that Finn was finally beginning to like New York and make a life for himself out here. "I think I might just hang out, eat some ice cream, watch some romantic comedies."

"Well I'll see you when you get in," He said happily. "Bye, I love you."

"I love you too." The phone line went dead.

I hastily walked back into the Broadway Diner to be greeted by Santana's reproachful glare.

"It was just Finn," I said innocently, tucking my phone back into my pocket. "He wanted to know if it was okay if he could go out with one of his friends tonight."

"You've well and truly got that one on a leash, don't you?"

I rolled my eyes, my attention diverting to The Boy With The Blue Eyes. There was something about him that well and truly fascinated me. Maybe it was how his light brown hair always looked so carefully curled and primped, as if every hair had been strategically placed. Or how his turquoise eyes moved from left to right over the page, occasionally stopping to look at a certain piece of clothing. Or the way when he smiled the skin around his lips creased. Or -

"TABLE SIX. ORDERS UP," A voice yelled, pulling me out of my day dream.

I rushed towards the kitchen on the opposite side of the room, briefly remembering what Santana had said three days and four hours ago.

"Dalton. Don't tell me you didn't notice him dancing behind that Harry Potter loser or the one who threw rock salt in Sam's eye at Sectionals and Regionals."

* * *

Finn and I were sat on the couch in our apartment that we shared with Santana watching a re run of _New Girl_.

"Can I ask you a question?" I asked suddenly, turning into his body slightly to meet his careful dark brown eyes. They were so much darker than The Boy With The Blue Eyes' eyes, yet just as beautiful.

"Ask away." He smirked, his arm around my shoulders moving as he turned to face me.

I wondered how to explain this boy without sounding too obsessed. I considered showing him one of the many pictures I had secretly taken of him on my phone but quickly ruled it out.

"In Freshman year, did you and Puck by any chance throw a boy into a dumpster?"

He laughed quietly as he said, "Not that I don't completely regret it, but Puck and I threw a lot of people into dumpsters in Freshman year."

"Brown hair?" I didn't trust myself to describe his eyes, I presumed I would get carried away and freak Finn out. "Eccentric clothing choices? Gay?"

"Oh..." He murmured, his face screwed up in concentration. "Vaguely."

"Do you remember his name?" I asked excitedly, my eyes lighting up at the possibility of finally learning this mystery boy's name.

"No... Not exactly. Only the nicknames that Puck and I used to call him." He frowned, obviously regretting whatever offensive name he had called this poor boy before he had transferred.

I sighed, slumping into Finn's arm sadly. "What did you call him then?"

"Super Homo and Little Lord Gay Boy," He muttered sadly, clearly disappointed in himself.

"Imaginative."

"I only ever saw him once after he transferred."

My eyes lit up again at the possibility of new information this time. Once again, I turned my head to face him, interested in the story that Finn was about to tell.

He rolled his eyes at my change in behavior. "Junior year. I was looking around Lima for a job when I went into Hummel Tires. Burt Hummel – The guy giving the interview – was talking to this kid when I went in – Obviously I didn't know that it was him – and when he saw me he ran off into the shop. He looked terrified," He said quietly, his eyes staring without seeing. "I found out afterward that Burt was the kid's dad. It made a lot of sense that he couldn't give me the job. His son would be scared to death every time he came home."

So The Boy With The Blue Eyes was the son of Burt Hummel's... I did know Burt Hummel of course. My Dads used him all the time when they wanted something done on their cars. And now that I mention it, I do remember Mr. Hummel saying something once to me about a son...

"_You're in show choir?" Mr. Hummel had asked me whilst my Dad was searching around in the car for a document of some kind._

"_Yes," I replied. "The New Directions. We're going to Sectionals in a few weeks."_

"_My son's in a show choir at Dalton," He said proudly. "You two would love each other. He's all into that musical theater stuff as well."_

"_He sounds like a man of good taste," I had joked._

Somebody banged at the door loudly.

"That'll be Oscar." Finn jumped up out of his seat, his lips touching my forehead briefly. "I'll be home by ten, promise." He smiled at me, grabbing his coat and rushing out of the door.

I had barely even considered the fact that I was going to be alone in the apartment tonight. Santana was working her second job in a night club and Finn had gone out with his friend. Here I was, alone. Although not entirely alone.

I walked steadily towards the freezer, pulling out a tub of _Ben & Jerry's_ ice cream. I yanked the microwave door open, shoving the tub into the machine and setting the timer on it. I waited patiently for the machine to ding, indicating that it was ready to be eaten.

And then it hit me.

The Boy With The Blue Eyes had gone to Dalton. Dalton Academy for Boys. He had been part of the Warblers. The show choir completely made up of boys. And during our Senior year, Tina had had a somewhat obsession with the Warblers and their charming good looks.

The microwave dinged.

I grabbed the melted ice cream from the machine and sat back on the couch, grabbing my mobile before I could begin shoveling the creamy dessert into my mouth.

"Tina?" I asked the caller, waiting for a response.

"RACHEL!" The phone replied excitedly.

"Could you help me out? I've got a problem."

"Sure, what's the matter?"

"Do you know any boys who are in the Warblers?"

"Only Blaine – He's like the cutest -"

"Do you have his number?" I asked insistently, grabbing a pen and paper that were sitting idly on the coffee table.

"Yeah sure?" She said suspiciously, telling me this Blaine boy's phone number which I hastily wrote down on the notepad.

"Thanks, I'll call you back in a second." I hung up the phone before she could reply.

I quickly dialed Blaine Warbler's number, impatiently waiting as the it began to ring.

A dopy voice answered, "Unknown number coming from New York. This could only be Kurt with a new phone."

I wondered who Kurt was, he was quite obviously somebody living in New York.

"Actually my name is Rachel Berry," I said in a reserved tone.

"Oh – From the New Directions?" His voice sounded much more awake and full of energy after he realized that I wasn't Kurt Warbler.

"Yes. I've graduated now, thus I'm calling from New York."

"But you've still not explained why you're calling me? I don't think we've ever even spoken to each other."

"I was wondering if you knew of a boy by any chance, who was in the Warblers but graduated last year and moved to New York?"

The voice on the phone flattened somewhat, becoming accusing and suspicious. "What do you want with him?"

"I take his sandwich and coffee order everyday," I revealed honestly.

"I'm not just going to give you his phone number, Rachel. You're going to have to earn it," Blaine Warbler said teasingly. "Goodnight Rachel Berry. I look forward to hearing a call from you some time tomorrow."

The line went dead.

I frowned at my phone grabbing the ice cream that was sitting on the table, just waiting to be consumed.

Little did I know that The Boy With The Blue Eyes had just received a telephone call at that very moment.

"What's the matter Blaine? Please tell me you're in New York so I can get out of this room! I think my room mate has hooked up with _two_ girls tonight. Or boys. I'm not really sure if he has any preferences."

"I was actually just wondering about this girl you've been raving on about for the past two weeks. Her name isn't Rachel Berry by any chance is it?"

**In tribute to Cory Monteith xxx**


	3. Kurt Hummel

**kurt is gay or not? is he with blaine? and what does rachel want from him od she has finn? **

**Hello, dear sweet readers.**

**Another chapter for you all (:**

**Also, in answer to Gleea :**

**Question 1: Is Kurt gay or not? Answer: It hasn't been revealed yet but you will find out in due course.**

**Question 2: Is he with Blaine? Answer: I think that's made clear in this chapter.**

**Question 3: What does Rachel want from him as* she had Finn? Answer: She's not sure, she's just simply drawn to him and wants to know who he is.**

**I hope this has cleared up any speculation you may have (:**

**-Huff x**

I hadn't called Blaine Warbler this morning, I had decided against it. At least for now. Though the idea had seemed incredibly tempting, if The Boy With The Blue Eyes ever found out he would probably think I was obsessed with him or something. Which I obviously wasn't.

I waited impatiently throughout my morning shift for The Boy With The Blue Eyes to walk through the door of the diner. I took customers orders, delivered their food, gave them their bills yet he still hadn't turned up.

It felt as if he were playing with my feelings. As if he knew exactly how much he fascinated me and was staying away purely to annoy me. But my shift had just ended, and I needed to be at NYADA in an hour for my afternoon classes.

I looked gravely at Santana who had just finished writing down an elderly couples order.

"Tell me if he comes in?" I pleaded, pulling my coat over my shoulders.

She frowned, but eventually agreed after I promised to do the washing up for a month.

"Go!" She said, motioning towards the door. "You're going to be late for your date with Crazy July."

It took me the better half of an hour to get to the main complex of the school via the Underground, I looked around the welcoming lobby for something to occupy the next half an hour. My eyes skimmed over the triangular message board. I shrugged, walking towards it slowly.

I couldn't see anything of interest. A notice asking for all of the Cello players to meet up in Music Room 104 tomorrow at six PM. An audition sheet for the school's Glee club, The Adam's Apples. A dance rehearsal for a flash mob that was going to take place in Central Park.

"Rachel Berry," A familiar voice said behind me.

I moaned quietly. The one person I was really not in the mood to talk to. Honestly, I was never in the mood to talk to him anymore. "Hello Brody," I said, my voice overly polite. I turned around to find the strapping young underclassman looking at me with his deep brown eyes that felt as cold as ice.

"Why don't we talk anymore, Rach?" He asked sadly, shoving his hands into the pockets of his Capri trousers.

I frowned, making a show of trying to remember exactly what had happened. "Well we shared a very brief relationship that ended with me finding out you're a gigolo and my boyfriend beating you up in a hotel room."

"Yeah about -" He started, but something had caught my eye over his shoulder. Something that was truly impossible. It was Him.

"Shut up and turn around," I whispered, barely able to comprehend the fact that The Boy With The Blue Eyes was talking to a tall blonde guy just across the room.

He looked so perfect I had to do a double take.

"What am I looking at?" He asked dumbfounded, looking around the room for something to strike his eye.

"Who is that boy over there?" I said softly, pointing to The Boy With The Blue Eyes subtly.

"Oh, him?" asked Brody, looking The Boy With The Blue Eyes up and down. "That's Carmen's pet turtle."

"What?" I asked, my eyes still transfixed on The Boy.

"Do you not remember the Winter Showcase?" He asked turning back to me and blocking The Boy With The Blue Eyes from view.

"Of course I do. I won it, remember?" I chided.

"Yet you don't remember Porcelain over there murdering _Being Alive_?"

I thought back to the night in question. I could remember somebody singing the classic Barbra song but I hadn't been able to see who as the man in front had been obscuring my view. Brody had said to me that night that the boy who had sung it had ruined the song entirely. I disagreed. I had thought he had sung it wonderfully.

"That was him?" I whispered in disbelief.

"It's the only reason he got in. His boyfriend invited him to come watch him play piano or something."

My shoulders slumped. There it was. True non disputable evidence that The Boy With The Blue Eyes was gay.

"Do you know his name?"

"Why don't you just go and ask him if you're that interested in writing his biography," Brody said sarcastically, walking towards the exit of the building.

I looked at The Boy With The Blue Eyes one more time. He had just started to walk towards one of the corridors on the left side of the room. Now was the time to do it. To just do it. It was just a simple matter of saying "Hello, I'm Rachel Berry." Easy.

I took a deep breath following him into the corridor.

We were only an arms length apart now. I could smell vanilla as I drew closer to him. I could just about look over his shoulder if I -

"AHH!" He screamed, spinning around and nearly knocking me over in his hurry.

I shrieked, taking a few well needed steps away from him.

"What are you – It's you!" He yelled, his eyes wide as he looked at me.

I raised my hands to my mouth in embarrassment, they muffled my voice as I apologized, "I'm so sorry."

The Boy With The Blue Eyes gulped at air, straightening his slim black braces as he did so. "You go to school here?" He asked, obviously wondering if I were stalking him.

"Yes – I'm studying musical theater," I said quickly.

"So am I," He replied carefully.

"I'm Rachel Berry." I held out my hand nervously, hoping against all odds that The Boy With The Blue Eyes would be a gentleman and take it.

He smiled suddenly, taking It without a moments hesitation. "I know who you are Rachel."

I blinked. "You do?"

"First of all, you wear a little badge at work saying 'Hi! I'm Rachel!" that I thoroughly adore," The Boy With The Blue Eyes muttered. "Secondly, I'm not sure if you ever noticed me during the days of the show choir wars between Dalton and McKinley but I most certainly noticed you."

"Y-You did?" I stuttered. The Boy With The Blue Eyes had noticed me? Before I had even known that he existed? I felt ashamed and touched at the same time.

"I'm Kurt. Hummel," He added politely.

Kurt Hummel. I gave in to the large smile forming on my lips as The Boy With The Blue Eyes mystery had finally been solved. The Boy's name was Kurt Hummel. Kurt... That must have been who Blaine Warbler had thought I was last night. Kurt Warbler.

"You went to Dalton?" I asked kindly. We slowly began walking side by side down the corridor. I was too transfixed by him to go in any other direction apart from forward.

He nodded. "I went to McKinley for a year but... It just wasn't for me."

"You probably would of liked it a bit more after Freshman year. Things changed." When I said things I had wanted to say Finn. But I barely knew him. I didn't think he'd feel very comfortable discussing about what had happened during Freshman year with a girl who he had only really met two minutes ago.

"I saw you at the Winter Showcase," said Kurt graciously. "You were extraordinary."

I blushed, turning away from him in case in he noticed. "I would like to say I saw you but the boy in front of me was incredibly tall." Kurt stifled a laugh, the corners of his turquoise eyes crinkling in amusement. "But you sounded amazing. Barbra would have been proud."

"Thank you," He said as we rounded a corner. "I only came along because a friend of mine was playing piano."

"A friend?" I asked curiously, wondering if perhaps Brody had got their relationship wrong. Hoping.

"Adam," Kurt added. "He runs the Adam's Apples."

"And is this Adam a special guy?"

Kurt shook his head, obviously realizing what I was really asking. "No. He asked me out once but I wasn't really interested in dating the only friend I'd actually made since being in New York."

"Yeah," I muttered quietly. "I made that mistake."

Kurt raised his perfectly waxed eyebrows after a short silence. "I didn't count you as the type to withhold information," He joked.

I rolled my eyes, sighing as I explained, "Brody was one of the biggest mistakes I ever made. I left Finn for _him,_"I said coldly. I noticed that Kurt had stiffened out of the corner of my eye. I silently berated myself for mentioning Finn.

"Finn?" He whispered nervously. "As in Hudson?"

I nodded. "He's a much better person, you know. I wouldn't be dating him if he were still throwing kids in dumpsters."

"If he'd just thrown me into dumpsters I wouldn't care if I saw him everyday for the rest of my life," said Kurt firmly, I had to jog to keep up with him as his pace quickened.

His entire body language had changed in the blink of an eye. His voice had turned defensive. He hugged himself as if he were trying to protect himself from an invisable enemy and his head had dropped. His entire confident demeanor had vanished instantly at the mention of Finn.

"What are you talking about?" I yelled after him.

"I'll see you around, Rachel. I'm late for class." And he was gone. Disappeared round a corner. Leaving me with one thought that I couldn't quite understand.

Finn had done something to this boy in Freshman year, something that had emotionally scarred him for life. I was tempted to give him a call but then I noticed the clock on the far wall.

Like Kurt Hummel, I was late for class.

**In tribute to Cory Monteith xxx**


	4. Porcelain

**Huff here!**

**I apologize for it taking me so long to update, I've been extremely busy recently.**

**But here I am, and here you are.**

**(Remember to review!)**

**-Huff x**

I walked briskly down the bustling New York sidewalk, pulling my long scarlet double breasted coat tight around myself as the sharp air bit at my exposed neck. My cell phone stopped ringing as the boy I had been considering calling for the past two hours finally picked up.

"Who is it?" chided Blaine Warbler, knowing full well who was on the other end of the line.

"Rachel Berry."

"And why didn't you call me yesterday like I asked Rachel Berry?"

"I was busy," I lied hesitantly.

I could tell that Blaine Warbler didn't buy it. "Kurt told me that he saw you yesterday."

I raised my eyebrows at the news Kurt Hummel – The Boy With The Blue Eyes – had even considered our brief introduction important enough to mention. "At NYADA."

"He also told me that you're dating the one and only Finn Hudson."

I crossed the road with the crowd as the oncoming traffic stopped at the traffic lights for us. "Speaking of which, I was wondering about their history together?"

Blaine Warbler paused before muttering, "I'm not sure it's really my place to talk about it."

"I deserve to know what my boyfriend did to yours in Freshman year," I said simply yet firmly.

"Why so sure he's my boyfriend?" replied Blaine Warbler humorously.

"Remember Tina Cohen-Chang?" I forced back a smile. Tina had spent over ten minutes just describing Blaine Warbler when I had called her back the night I had first contacted him. She'd told me he had had a boyfriend named Kurt who I now knew was The Boy With The Blue Eyes since Junior year.

Blaine Warbler laughed into the phone at the mention of Tina. "She's kind of amazing. I should of known she would of told you all about me."

"She's an enthusiastic person," I agreed happily.

"But no, in answer to your question," He said sadly, coming back down to earth. "Kurt and I were in a relationship until he moved to New York. We broke up after a few months of him being there."

"Oh," I murmured. "Why did you guys break up?"

"I er -" Blaine Warbler sighed before reluctantly saying, "I cheated on him."

"Oh..." I said, unsure of what to say in response to that.

"But we're still friends -" He said quickly. "You're not cavorting with the enemy or anything."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. But you're avoiding answering my question. What did Finn do to Kurt in Freshman year?" I repeated sharply.

Blaine Warbler hesitated again. "Do you promise not to tell Kurt I told you?"

I rolled my eyes at the lack of trust between Blaine Warbler and I. Granted we'd never even spoken in person. "Of course."

"Finn thre – No!" said Blaine Warbler suddenly. "I'm not telling you. If Kurt wants you to know then he'll tell you!"

"Blaine -"

"I've got Warbler practice. I'll speak to you tomorrow," He said angrily.

The phone line went dead before I could argue.

Although, Blaine Warbler was completely right. It wasn't his place to tell me what had happened to The Boy With The Blue Eyes all those years ago, it was Kurt's. And if he didn't want to tell me then there was nothing I could do about that. I suppose I could interrogate Finn but I had a sneaking suspicion that whatever happened I wasn't going to get an honest answer from my boyfriend.

I entered the Starlight Diner hastily, throwing my coat over the counter without a second glance. A new waitress called Dani rushed up to me as I arrived.

"He's here!" She squealed excitedly, trying to subtly motion to a booth in the far corner. It wasn't Kurt Hummel's usual booth but he was sat there none the less, reading his Vogue magazine and completely unaware of my presence.

"Have you taken his order?" I asked tentatively, waving hello to the owner Gunther who was working the bar.

"I was tried to save him for you but he called Santana over and she took his order," said Dani sadly, as if she had somehow failed me.

"How are you and Santana going anyway?" I asked slyly, giving the new waitress a slight smirk. It was common knowledge that there was something going on between these two, what exactly was beyond me.

"Santana and I are old news," She said nonchalantly. "You and this cute Prancy Smurf are the single most exciting thing now."

Another nickname. Great.

"There is no us," I said firmly, looking over at Kurt again who was still completely transfixed by his fashion magazine.

"Still dating Finn I see?" I nodded quickly, as if the faster I nodded the more devoted I was to my boyfriend. "I've no idea why when _that's_ on the market." She nudged her head in Kurt's direction.

"Finn's very sweet," I said, coming to my boyfriend's defense.

"Well you've never tasted Prancy Smurf. He could be the sweetest of all boys."

I rolled my eyes, walking away from Dani towards the kitchen where a cream cheese and salmon bagel had just been placed on the counter. I grabbed it without a second thought and walked towards Kurt's booth. He looked up over his magazine and saw me walking towards him. I melted a little bit under his warm gaze and smile.

"One cream cheese and salmon bagel." I placed it in front of him gently.

"And one very beautiful NYADA student to go with it," He replied softly. I won't deny that I blushed uncontrollably at his very smooth comment. "Can you sit with me for a bit?"

I pursed my lips, looking over my shoulder at Gunther who was staring at Kurt and I like a hawk. He nodded enthusiastically.

I sat down opposite The Boy With The Blue Eyes who had just sipped his mocha coffee.

"I'm Kurt Hummel," He said politely, holding his hand out over the table.

"You introduced yourself yesterday?" I said uncertainly, raising my eyebrows as I shook his hand. I'd never felt hands quite so soft, it was with reluctance that I let go.

"I know but we didn't really get off to a great start so we're doing it again." He said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"I see," I replied causally. "I'm Rachel Berry. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine." He chuckled at the formality in our voices. "So you've been talking to my friend Blaine I noticed?"

I gasped in horror. "He told you?"

He nodded happily, his lips forming a smile. "It's nice to know that I'm such a mystery to pretty future Broadway starlets and bad mouthed Latinos."

"I wasn't stalking you or -"

"Shh -" He said before I could make a fool out of myself any further. He grabbed my hand that was resting on the table in anguish and gave it a quick squeeze before retreating. "It was cute." I blushed at Kurt's comment, averting my gaze to my lap. "But of course this led me to think: She's been taking my order for two weeks now. We've not really had a proper conversation. I'm most likely going to have to be the one to say hello."

"Well it's not my fault you have this aurora of please don't disturb me all of the time," I said defensively.

He opened his mouth to say something but I heard Santana's loud voice instead. "Well isn't this just adorable."

"Satan," Kurt said tolerably as Santana sat down besides me, staring at The Boy With The Blue Eyes accusingly.

"Porcelain," She replied in the same tone, her eyes narrowed. "What are you two doing?"

"Discussing numerous ways to gallivant off into the sunset on a horse and cart," Kurt snorted. "What do you think we're doing?"

"Put a sock in it, Twinkle Tush." She turned to me as if Kurt weren't sat opposite us looking extremely offended. "What are you doing Rachel?"

"Talking to my new found friend," I said simply, noticing Kurt's frown turning into a smile at the mention of the word 'friend'.

"You want _that_ for a friend?" Santana asked spitefully, casting a disgusted glance at Kurt.

"Okay then." Kurt stood up, setting the money for the bagel and coffee on the table carefully and dusting off his lap as he stood by the side of the table. "Rachel, I'm buying you a _vegetarian_ pizza tonight so that we can have a conversation without the she devil popping up." If looks could kill then Santana was repeatedly stabbing Kurt with a butter knife. "Call me later." He gave me a small business card, turned on his heel and walked out of the diner with as much grace as a swan. I stared in awe as the door closed behind him.

"You're cheating on Finn," Santana said bitterly, switching to Kurt's former seat.

"I'm just getting pizza with him. That's not cheating," I replied absently. I was hypnotized by Kurt Hummel's business card.

_Kurt E. Hummel_

_Part Time Intern at Vogue . Com_

_Full Time NYADA Student _

_Cellphone Number: 7189842093_

_Email Address: Kurt . Hummel at Unicorn . Net_

_When a Unicorn forgets they're magical, their horn falls _

_off and they become a regular horse._

The Unicorn theme puzzled me but Santana quickly pulled me out of my thoughts.

"He's messing you around, Rachel."

I rolled my eyes, slipping Kurt's card into my pocket before Santana could snatch it out of my hand.

"I'm with Finn, Santana," I said firmly. As the words escaped my mouth I felt as if I were convincing myself rather than Santana. "I love him. Not Kurt."

Santana frowned, catching Dani's eye from across the room. "Just remember that before you screw it all up."

I stayed sitting in the booth as Santana left me to go talk to Dani. I wasn't going to screw anything up... If Kurt tried anything I would simply tell him I am completely devoted to Finn. Although, part of my brain wondered if I were lying to myself.

**In tribute to Cory Monteith xxx**


	5. Sebastian Smythe

**Huff is back!**

**Here is another chapter for your enjoyment. I'm so glad to get this story out of my head, It was killing me not being able to express it at all.**

**Reviews are appreciated like crazy, I absolutely love reading them (:**

**If you have any ideas or request for this story make sure you let me know by reviewing or message.**

**-Huff xxx**

Pizza with The Boy With The Blue Eyes had actually turned out to be a pretty harmless affair.

Okay, I _had_ lied to Finn about where I was going but I didn't want to give him the wrong idea.

Kurt had text me his address after I had text him asking where we were going to meet. To my surprise it was an address I knew quite well.

"What are you smiling at?" asked Santana accusingly, walking down the street besides Dani and I. The sun was slowly beginning to set over the skyscrapers as we made our way towards the Subway turning the sky a beautiful peachy color similar to the shade of Kurt's trousers yesterday.

My smile quickly vanished. I hastily put my cell phone away before Santana could snatch it away from me and read the text.

"It was Finn wasn't it?" said Dani rolling her eyes, taking her girlfriend's hand as we walked.

"Speaking of Frankenteen," Santana said causally, a small smile forming on her lips as she glanced at their intertwined hands. "Is he cool with you going out for a candle lit dinner with Twinkle Tush or are we going to have a repeat of Plastic Man with Finn going all dinosaur on him?"

I looked away from Santana's penetrating glare afraid that she might see the guilt welling up in my eyes before I responded, "He doesn't know anything about it."

"Ah," Santana replied knowingly. "Deceit."

"Don't say anything," I pleaded. "He would get the wrong idea and go ballistic."

"Berry, what do you take us for? Of course we're not going to tell Finn about your guilty pleasure."

"Kurt is _not_ my guilty pleasure," I said firmly as the two of them giggled at me.

"I swear to God that all you do is fantasize about running your hands through his hair," laughed Santana.

I frowned at her disapprovingly, shaking my head vigorously despite the fact I _had_ been wondering what his perfectly well kept hair felt like since the day I first set eyes on him. We all began walking down the concrete stairs into the Underground. Thankfully the subject was dropped.

I walked along the neutral colored corridor, a small part of my brain wondering if Santana was right and this was cheating.

_No, of course it isn't,_ I told myself firmly. _I'm still allowed to have friends._

But then why did I feel so guilty?

My eyes began to scan each of the door numbers as I walked past. _104...106...108..._

I eventually stopped outside of room 114. When Kurt had text me his address I had been extremely surprised to discover that he had been appointed a room in a NYADA dormitory in the same building that I had been living in for the first few months of being in New York. Until Santana had appeared that is and convinced me to rent an apartment with her in Bushwick. My room number had been 313, just two floors above Kurt's, directly opposite his door. I shook my head at the coincidence and knocked on the door.

The door opened, but it wasn't The Boy With The Blue Eyes standing in front of me.

A familiar looking tall young man stood in the door frame, his short dark blonde hair had been gelled back looking fairly similar to how Kurt had his hair, his green eyes the color of wilting grass in the winter time. His eyebrows had been shaped in a way making him look as if he were plotting your death as he stared at you, his thin lips parted as he spoke.

"And you are?" He asked rudely, his snobbish voice washing over me as he looked me up and down.

"Rachel Berry," I said politely, holding my hand out in front of him.

He glanced at it distastefully. "What do you want?"

I quickly withdrew my wavering hand."I'm here to see Kurt."

"Hummel's out," Kurt's Roommate scowled.

"I noticed that."

He glowered at me, obviously rather annoyed that I was still here and hadn't stormed away yet.

"You can come in and wait for him. He won't be long." He moved to the side of the doorway, allowing me to pass into the shared room. I cautiously walked past him, overcome by the smell of pine needles in the air. It was like they had a large invisible Christmas tree sat in the middle of the room. I smirked at the navy curtain that had been pulled through the middle of the room giving them some privacy as Santana, Finn and I had adopted the same technique in our own apartment.

The familiar looking boy closed the door roughly behind me, pulling the curtain across so that the room became one once again.

It took me only a minute to guess which side of the room was Kurt's. To the left side of the room a small single bed had been pushed against the wall besides a metallic desk and office chair that just about fitted into the confined space. A few framed pictures sat on the desk of Kurt's Roommate and a man who looked like his father. Another picture was of him and the boy Blaine who I remembered from the Warblers smiling at the camera. I noticed that just over Blaine's shoulder was a young Kurt, gazing at the two of them jealously. I smiled at Kurt's face, he couldn't of been much older than 15.

On the right side of the room was another small single bed although the headboard of this one had been changed to a dark red velvet. Above the bed were a few wooden shelves that housed a large red folder and a few books. On the wooden desk there was a black laptop bag sat in the middle surrounded by pots of pens and a stack of paper. Much like the the other boy Kurt had decorated his desk and bedside table with photographs of his friends and family.

He noticed me staring at the room. "Sit down," He ordered, his eyes narrowed as he watched me.

I slowly walked towards Kurt's desk, sitting myself down on the varnished stool to face him.

"You knew Blaine?" I asked breaking the silence. He had sat down on his bed now, obviously miffed by my presence.

He nodded, his expression becoming solemn at the mention of the Warbler. "We went to school together."

"So you went to school with Kurt?"

His persona had immediately changed to irritated again. "Obviously," He drooled.

The door opened suddenly, The Boy With The Blue Eyes stepped into the room holding a pizza box, staring at the two of us questioningly.

"Hi Rachel," said Kurt happily, glancing at me for a second with his twinkling blue eyes.

"Fraternizing with the enemy, Hummel?" Kurt's Roommate asked snidely before I could reply.

Kurt set his jaw, turning on his roommate. "We're not in show choir anymore, Sebastian. Get over it," He said bitterly.

The boy called Sebastian stood up abruptly making me jump slightly. "I'm going out," He sneered, storming towards the open door.

"Don't let the door hit you on the way out, Smythe." Sebastian slammed the door behind himself angrily.

Kurt's hard expression instantly relaxed as he walked towards me, setting the pizza down on the bed.

"Sorry about him," He apologized sincerely. "He's got this crazy vendetta against me."

"He was a Warbler?" I guessed.

Kurt nodded. He sat down on his bed, the mattress sinking slightly beneath his weight. "He hates me with a passion."

"Who could ever hate you?" I laughed at the serious look plastered onto his face. He relaxed his face after he noticed me staring.

"Unbalanced Criminal Chipmunks," He joked, a newly formed grin spreading across his clear pale face as he turned towards me.

"So you two have history?" I asked curiously, moving onto the end of his bed, the pizza box separating us.

Kurt sighed sadly, laying down on his bed and propping himself up with his elbow as he replied, "Sebastian had a crush on my ex-boyfriend, Blaine. He was pretty infatuated with him... Things turned nasty," muttered Kurt, opening the pizza box with his free hand. "He threw rock salt in Blaine's eye like he had that boy with the big lips in the New Directions. I said some hateful things. He hired some bullies to beat me up after school. Blaine told him to back off. Pretty much just your average girl drama." He took a slice of the vegetable pizza, pushing the box towards me as he did so.

"Sounds like a nightmare," I murmured gravely, accepting a slice of pizza. "Something similar happened at my school between my boyfriend, his ex and I."

"Do tell," He said in between mouthfuls of pizza.

"He slept with Santana, I made out with his best friend after I found out, he left me for Quinn, his ex. Quinn said some hurtful things. We got into a fight. Eventually Finn broke up with her and we got back together," I said simply. I silently berated myself for saying Finn's name, but Kurt hadn't seemed to notice or it didn't bother him.

"This Quinn girl seems like a bitch."

"She can be," I agreed, taking a bite out of the pizza. "But she's generally a sweet girl."

He nodded before saying humorously, "I wish Sebastian was a sweet girl. It would make sharing a room with him a billion times easier."

I laughed modestly at his comment. "New York Dominos is _so_ much better than Lima Dominos."

"It's the water," He agreed taking another bite.

"Have you been back to Lima since you came to New York?"

He touched the base of his lampshade lightly, causing the slowly darkening room to be flooded with light. "No." He shook his head, laying back down on his side again. "I'm worried that if I go back there my Dad will keep me hostage so I can't leave again."

I smiled warmly at the idea. "I know what you mean. I went back for Thanksgiving. I thought they were going to duck tape me to a chair at one point."

We'd spoken about our families, our shared love of _Wicked_ and Barbra Streisand, a bird that Kurt had owned called Pavarotti until the late hours of the night, the half finished pizza slowly turning cold. Sebastian had never returned, when I brought this up to Kurt he had said that Sebastian was a very sexually active guy and probably wouldn't come back until the morning. I'd never brought Finn up, and neither had Kurt. It was by silent mutual consent that we never spoke about him.

I almost jumped out of my skin when I saw the time on Kurt's Mickey Mouse watch.

"It's half three!" I yelled in surprise, sitting up on Kurt's bed.

He jumped at the sudden loudness of my voice, sitting up besides me as he asked if I was serious.

"Check your watch Glinda," I said reaching towards Kurt's wrist to tap his watch.

His beautiful turquoise eyes widened as he realized the time.

"Do you want me to walk you home?" He asked politely. Only a true gentleman offers to walk a girl home at half past three in the morning.

I shook my head, I couldn't help but smile when I was around him. "To Bushwick? I'll get a cab."

Kurt grabbed his cell phone that was laying idly on the table, dialing a number.

I watched him curiously as he put the mobile on speaker phone.

"Hello?" The voice on the phone asked lazily.

"Could I please order a taxi from the NYADA Dorm building on Twenty-Fifth Street?" He asked formerly.

"And who is the taxi for?" The phone operator drooled.

"Rachel Berry."

"And where are you going, Rachel?"

I almost burst out laughing at the phone operators mistake. Kurt smirked at me, obviously knowing what was going to happen. I silently mouthed my address to him. He repeated it in his unique high voice.

"It'll be with you in a few minutes. Have a nice night."

"You too." Kurt hung up his phone, springing up off of his bed in a burst of energy. He offered me his hand which I gladly accepted.

"You knew that was going to happen," I laughed as he led me out of the door, locking it behind himself.

"I did not," He lied playfully as we walked down the corridor.

"So do you usually get mistaken for a girl on the phone?" I asked mischievously pulling him into the elevator. The bright florescent light flickered as the doors closed and we began to descend.

"It's a gift. When I was eight I would pick up the phone and they would usually think it was my Mom."

"Well I absolutely love your voice."

He smiled at me warmly. I melted slightly under his gaze. How somebodies eyes be so beautiful was beyond me. The elevator dinged as we reached the ground floor, pulling me out of my trance.

We walked in silence out of the tower block and onto the street. The cold winter air bit at my exposed skin as I had forgotten to bring a jacket with me. It had been mildly warm when I had left for Kurt's earlier.

I could see Kurt's breathe as he asked, "Are you cold?"

I shook my head, trying to conceal my quivering arms from his sight. This wasn't the time for a cute Rom-Com moment. But Kurt went ahead with it none the less. He pulled his hand knitted maroon jumper over his head and handed it to me kindly.

I went to push it away but I was overcome by the cold and need of something to keep me warm as we waited for the taxi to arrive. I pulled it over my head. I smiled as the smell of vanilla and pine needles overwhelmed my senses. His jumper was warm and not too big for me, although I could still just about manage to pull the sleeves over my fingers.

As we stood side by side in the cold (Kurt now shivering in his thin plaid shirt) I noticed that we were still holding hands from earlier. My heartbeat began to rapidly increase at the sight of his pale hand intertwined with my own. I leaned into his arm as the taxi arrived silently.

"Are you doing anything tomorrow, Rachel?" whispered Kurt before I could pull away from him.

"I've got a dance class in the morning but I'm free from eleven," I answered, looking up at him. His face looked deathly pale in the moonlight.

"Then I think I'm going to have to take you shopping after your dance class." He smirked, pulling away from me to open the door of the taxi.

I blushed rapidly, getting into the taxi as he slammed the door shut behind me. I hoped he hadn't seen the rising color in my face. And he even if he did... He would probably think it was just because of the cold anyway.

"Goodnight Rachel," He said as I rolled down the window.

"Goodnight Kurt," I whispered as the taxi began to make it's way down the road.

**In Tribute to Cory Monteith xxxxx**


	6. Have A Be-U-Tea-Full Day

**Loved reading all of your reviews! They really do make my day (:**

**I can't stand describing Finn in a negative light as he's one of my favorite characters, so rest assured, he's not going to be portrayed as "The Bad Guy" in this story.**

**Reviews and comments are appreciated (:**

**-Huff xxx**

By the time my dance lesson with Cassandra July had finished I was in a horrifying mood. I was still furious with Finn after our argument last night and to top it off, Cassy July had been particularly hard on me this morning. As if she could sense my anger and decided to push me that little bit farther to see if she would get a response.

She didn't.

Finn had been so terribly obnoxious last night that Santana had even come into my room to comfort me after he had stormed out of the apartment. Part of me worried about where he was going at four in the morning. The other part didn't care.

"YOU LEFT FIVE HOURS AGO!" Finn had yelled, jumping up off of the sofa in outrage as I quietly opened the door of the apartment. I'd been carefully silent as I had opened the door, planning on not waking Finn or Santana up. It appeared it hadn't mattered. Finn's yelling was bound to rouse the Latino.

"I didn't realize the time," I said quietly, my head hung in shame as I closed the door behind me softly.

"I'VE BEEN WORRIED SICK RACHEL! I WAS GOING TO PHONE THE POLICE!" He yelled, advancing on me in the darkness. The only light in the apartment came from the moon, casting a cold glow over the kitchen. The same moon that had cast the same glow over Kurt's face this evening. I couldn't quite get his smile out of my head.

"You're going to wake Santana."

He looked at me in astonishment, as if he were amazed that I even had the ability to consider other people. "Where were you?" He asked, strangely calm all of a sudden. I figured he didn't like the idea of getting bitch slapped by Santana for disturbing her beauty sleep.

"Dani and I went shopping earlier," I lied, silently thanking my impeccable acting skills. "We went back to her place and tried on what we had bought and we ended up talking all night."

"Where are the shopping bags then?"

"What?"

"Where are the shopping bags?" repeated Finn, slightly more firmly this time.

I made a show of looking around me in search of the bags. "I must of left them at Dani's. I'm so exhausted I forgot to take them with me when I left."

Finn frowned. He didn't buy it. He began to massage his temples as he asked, "Why are you lying to me Rachel?"

"I'm not," I said, my voice quivering slightly. I hated lying to him. The empty look on his face killed me inside.

"You were with a guy weren't you?" He whispered knowingly, finally meeting my gaze.

"I'm going to bed," I said bitterly, storming past him towards our room, angry all of a sudden that he had assumed the worst. Although he had been completely right. I had been, but not in the way he thought.

"Then I'm going out," Finn said, the anger returning to his voice instantly.

"I can't believe you would honestly accuse me of cheating on you! If you actually think I would ever do that to you then you've obviously lost your grip on reality!" I screamed as he slammed the door shut behind himself.

He hadn't come home that night. I hadn't seen him since our argument. I couldn't stand him being mad at me, especially when he had every right to be.

My phone ringing in my bag pulled me out of my trance. I remembered that I was on the Subway heading towards Kurt's dorm for our shopping trip. I answered my phone calmly.

"Hello?"

"RACHEL!" Tina Cohen-Chang yelled in excitement. I hadn't spoken to her since I had first called Blaine Warbler.

I smiled as I heard Mercedes Jones calling my name as well in the three way call.

"Hey guys!" I said, a newly found happiness in my voice.

"How's New York? T told me that you met a cute boy," Mercedes said craftily.

I rolled my eyes at the two of them, giving in to the large smile that was slowly forming on my face. "He is reasonably cute, yes."

"I need a picture, Rach. I'm dying here."

"Oh hush," I said teasingly. "I'll send you one later."

"So he sings right?" asked Tina insistently.

"Like an angel," I replied, the sound of Kurt singing _Being Alive_ filling my head at the mention of his wonderful voice. "I'm going shopping with him this very moment."

I heard them both squealing over the phone before Mercedes said, "A cute boy who sings like an angel and likes shopping? Damn girl, you've just found the boy that every girl dreams of dating."

I laughed loudly, causing a few other passengers to raise their eyebrows at me. I blushed uncontrollably as I revealed that he used to go to McKinley.

"No way," Tina gasped in shock.

"He transferred to Dalton after Freshman year," I said proudly, as if Kurt were a toy I were showing off to my classmates in kindergarten.

"Wait -" said Mercedes perplexedly. "Is his name Kurt Hummel?"

I gasped, once again a few of the passengers on the train looked at me quizzically. "You know him?"

"We were like best friends! I asked you over a hundred times if you wanted to go shopping with me and Kurt but you always refused."

She was absolutely right. I briefly remembered her asking if I wanted to go to the mall with her friend Kurt throughout junior and senior year.

"One problem girl, he's gay." My shoulders slumped and an all too familiar frown occupied my face once again as I was reminded of his sexuality.

"I know," I replied grimly.

Tina groaned at the new information. "This is Blaine and I all over again."

"What happened to Mike?" I asked inquisitively.

"I think he's dating a girl in Chicago."

I shook my head. Mike wasn't the kind of guy who cheated on his girlfriend, he was most probably just working extra hard for college.

"I'd love to stay and chat but I've got to be going. I'll talk to you two later," I said as the doors of the train opened at my stop. I hastily jumped out of my seat and ran out of the doors before they could shut me in and take me to the next stop.

"Tell me how your date with Lady Hummel goes." I hung up my phone on the pair of them so that they could freely gossip about Kurt and I. I smiled to myself at the thought.

I couldn't help but text them both the same picture as I walked up the graffitied concrete stairs of the subway.

_Mercedes:_

_Hot damn, girl. I didn't know that a boy could get that much hotter in less than a year._

_Tina:_

_OMG, HAVE U SEEN HIS EYES?!_

I smiled at their replies to the picture Kurt and I had taken last night on my phone of our faces smushed together smiling at the camera.

"Rachel?" A high all too familiar voice asked behind me suddenly.

I looked up from my phone and turned around, searching for the source of the voice. I practically squealed in excitement when I saw Kurt a few feet behind me walking in the opposite direction in his loud royal blue military jacket.

"I was just about to see if you were in!" I said excitedly, rushing towards him with a wide grin spread across my face.

He returned the smile, the corners of his mouth crinkling as he did so. "I was going to go get a coffee, do you want to come?"

I nodded a little bit too enthusiastically causing him to chuckle at my excitement. Kurt offered me his arm kindly in the middle of the crowded sidewalk. I took it without another thought, wrapping my arm through his as we began to walk through the crowd.

"Did you get in trouble for last night?" He asked worriedly.

I grimaced as I recalled Finn and I's argument last night. I'd almost managed to convince myself that my life wasn't a huge drama out of one of those sitcoms you always see on television. "Troubles an understatement," I muttered gloomily.

He gave me a quick half hearted smile before saying glumly, "Well I guess we'll just have to pay better attention to the clock next time."

I raised my eyebrows at him as we walked across the zebra crossing as the lights flashed red. "Next time?"

"You don't think I'm never going to buy you pizza again, do you?"

I beamed at him, unsure of why I felt so happy that he wanted to buy me pizza again. Should a girl feel this happy when her friend offers to buy her pizza? Unless she's obsessed with pizza that is. Or obsessed with the friend in question. But I was obsessed with neither so it truly did puzzle me as to why I was filled with joy at the very mention of spending some more time with Kurt, gnawing on pizza.

After a few minutes of walking and mindless chit chat, we came across a coffee shop on the corner of the street that we hastily stepped into. I pointed out the name of the coffee shop to Kurt who laughed at the pun loudly.

_Have A Be – U – Tea – Full Day_

The warm air slammed into my face like a steel door, the heater was obviously on full blast trying to conceal the fact that it was actually winter outside. We waited in line patiently, entirely lost in our conversation about Sue Sylvester, the cheerleading coach and current principle of McKinley High.

"She was a Dragon Lady," Kurt muttered distastefully.

I nodded in agreement, taking a step forward in the line. "She made it her number one priority to destroy the New Directions. It was quite distracting really."

"She one gave Blaine and I information on you guys in hope that we'd give her some inside secrets about the Warblers."

"What did she tell you about us?" I asked slowly.

Kurt smirked at me before saying, "She told us that you were trying to be sexy."

I flushed at the memory. The entire week dedicated to sex had been Miss Holiday's idea. And being part of the Celibacy club with a thirty year old virgin and a seventeen year old who had already given birth hadn't made the whole thing all that enjoyable.

"Oh..."

"I take it your week was as much of a failure as ours?"

A smile slowly crept onto my lips as we advanced in the cue, there was only a single man between the counter and us now. "You had a Sexy Week as well?"

"Blaine and I sung Animal by Neon Trees while machines sprayed bubbles everywhere and a volley ball was bounced around. It was atrocious and I refuse to reenact it for your amusement."

I giggled at the thought of Kurt pushing bubbles away from himself in case they stained his outfit. "Perhaps some other time."

"Can I have a grande nonfat mocha please and whatever my friend Elphaba wants?" Kurt asked the lady behind the counter impishly after the man in front of us had received his receipt.

I rolled my eyes at him. "I'll have a large chai latte for Elphaba and Glinda, thanks."

He reached into his back pocket for his wallet but I quickly hit his arm away, pulling my own purse out. He tutted uncomfortably as I payed the woman.

"You bought the pizza last night, I think I can manage two coffees, Glinda."

He murmured an uneasy thank-you as the lady looked at us oddly. Obviously she hadn't seen many extreme _Wicked_ fans.

We moved along past the counter to wait for our coffees to be made as an unexpected hand tapped me on the shoulder.

"You guys would actually make a cute couple," said Santana kindly, holding her own coffee in a napkin. "Ugh, I said that out loud didn't I? I might have to go throw up to get the disgusting taste of Yentl and Gay Sparkly Unicorn out of my mouth."

I smiled at her disturbing yet familiar sense of humor. "How come you're here then?"

Santana shrugged after she had finished giving Kurt a disapproving glare. "I was in the neighborhood and needed a caffeine top up."

I took my steaming hot coffee that said _Elphaba_ in slanted handwriting from the counter, following Santana who had made her way towards a cozy booth in the corner of the room, as far away from the loud chatter of the coffee shop's loud customers as possible. I sat down besides Kurt who had already taken his seat.

Santana narrowed her dark eyes at Kurt who was sipping his mocha quietly. "I didn't say you could join us, Grandma."

"What is your problem with me?!" He asked, his voice rising in anger. I'll be perfectly honest and say that I had been wondering that too recently. Santana had seemed particularly offended by Kurt's presence whenever she had seen him.

"You know exactly what my problem with you is, Hummel," replied the Latino, her voice steadily rising in response.

"It happened two years ago! Get over it!"

"You made out with Brittany while we were dating! I'm not just going to forgive you!"

"Wait, hold on a second -" I said firmly, halting their argument for a few seconds. Kurt had made out with Brittany? How that was even possible I didn't know seeing as they were both gay. "You made out with Brittany? As in Brittany S. Pierce?"

He nodded sadly, clearly disappointed in himself. I couldn't help but be reminded of Finn when he had told me that he had thrown Kurt into a dumpster in Freshman year as he sat next to me, his usually sparkling turquoise eyes full of shame. "I didn't know that she had a girlfriend otherwise I would of found somebody else."

"Found somebody else?" I asked questioningly.

Kurt sighed tiredly as if he had repeated this story a billion times, massaging his temples roughly as he said, "I was trying to prove my heterosexuality to my Dad at the time."

I nodded, clearly satisfied with his answer as I glanced at Santana carefully who looked like she was about to pour her coffee over Kurt's head. I could only imagine his rage at her ruining his hair with her scolding hot caffeinated drink. A smile smile spread across my face.

"It's not a good idea to hold grudges, Santana."

The Latino huffed, crossing her arms tightly as she relaxed in her seat. "Where are you two going after this then?"

"Shopping," said Kurt sharply.

Santana grimaced at the thought, but reluctantly asked, "Can I come with you? I need a new pair of shoes and you probably have quite good taste in clothing judging by your current attire."

"Promise not to cause a fight?" I asked teasingly, sipping my coffee as she replied.

"Promise."

**In Tribute to Cory Monteith xxxxx**


	7. Puckerman

**Okay. I'm expecting a decent amount of hate to come my way after this chapter.**

**All I ask is that you read my A/N at the end of the chapter after you've read it.**

**Reviews and criticism are appreciated (:**

**-Huff**

Shopping with Kurt and Santana had almost turned out to be enjoyable and entertaining. Almost.

Santana seemed to have finally sorted out her indifference with The Boy With The Blue Eyes and they actually seemed to get along quite well. I was rather proud of Santana for making such an effort until I realized that no effort was being made on her part nor his. It seemed the only effort being made was her keeping up that angry charade with him for two years. I smiled at the idea of my best friend and my new friend (Who was gradually turning into quite a close friend) becoming friends. I couldn't of hoped for a better day with the pair of them, that is until Finn turned up with his friend Oscar.

Now don't get me wrong, I love Finn with all of my heart. But we hadn't spoken since our argument last night and I was acutely aware that Finn and Kurt didn't have a very pleasant history and as far as I knew, whenever they had come within close proximity to each other Kurt had ran for the hills.

We'd just been considering getting another coffee when I had noticed a tall brown haired figure standing in front of me.

"Finn?" I said with a hint of surprise in my voice. Of all the places I would expect to run into my boyfriend, the Manhattan Mall was definitely not one of them.

The Quarterback smiled at me kindly, obviously unaware of Santana nervously watching Kurt who had frozen at the sight of him. "Hey."

I could tell by the tone in his voice that he wanted to make up. Ever since we broke up over the whole Santana/Puck incident in junior year our arguments had never lasted very long.

"Whose your friend?" He asked softly, looking over my shoulder at Kurt.

His immaculate turquoise eyes widened at being addressed by Finn. He hugged himself like he had when we had first met at NYADA.

"This is Kurt," I said brightly, touching his shoulder gently. I could feel him quivering beneath my hand.

Finn furrowed his eyebrows at The Boy With The Blue Eyes, he obviously recognized him from somewhere. "Do I know you?" He asked, taking a step towards him.

Kurt instantly jumped back as Finn approached, a scared expression overwhelming his face. "Don't touch me," He said quietly, his voice cracking beneath the strain.

Finn's eyes widened as he realized who he was. He swallowed a large breathe of air and took a step away from him back towards Oscar who was watching the exchange in confusion.

"Dude, I'm so sorry," apologized Finn sincerely. "I was fourteen and stupid and -"

But Kurt cut him off as he began to shake his head and take another step away from him. I watched on in bewilderment as his eyes began to well up. "I don't even want you near me," He scowled, hugging himself slightly tighter as he looked up at Finn.

"What the hell is going on here?" Santana asked loudly, watching Kurt with a look of affection that I rarely saw in her deep brown eyes. I could tell that she felt obliged to defend The Boy With The Blue Eyes, despite the fact she'd only admitted she actually enjoyed his company a few hours ago.

I looked at Finn expectantly but he remained silent, his eyes completely transfixed on Kurt.

"I'm going to go home," said Kurt softly, his eyes still trained on Finn as if he were worried he might pounce on him at the last minute. "I'll see you two another time."

I realized as he walked away and out of the front doors of the building that I had been a horrible friend. I hadn't said a word throughout their exchange. But what could I of said? That I was sorry Finn had done whatever he had done? I had been speechless as I watched my boyfriend turn Kurt into an emotional wreck.

I ran after him without another thought. I heard Finn shout my name behind me as I dashed through the crowds slowly building up in the mall. I also heard Santana's response as she held him back from chasing after me.

"SHUT UP LUMPS. THE YENTL IS TRYING TO FIX YOUR PROBLEM."

I rushed out of the front entrance, looking left and right for The Boy With The Blue Eyes. I saw a man in a royal blue military jacket and bright sunflower yellow skinny jeans hastily walked across the road to my right and into a park.

I chased after him.

"KURT!" I screamed as I neared him. Either he didn't hear me or he didn't want to talk. His pace quickened after I called his name again. I guessed the latter.

I couldn't catch him in these shoes, that much was obvious. Kurt had insisted on buying me a new pair of black high heels that he deemed more appropriate than my usual penny loafers.

My hand shot out as an oncoming cyclist came up behind me, stopping by my side and looking at me as if I were crazy.

"Can you tell that boy in the blue jacket that Elphaba needs a word about The Shiz?" I asked him quickly. He nodded slowly, evidently not understanding the reference and began to cycle towards Kurt. I figured Kurt wasn't going to listen to reason and solemnity at a time like this, so that only left humor.

The cyclist caught up in no time and repeated the message to him and then he rode on down the pathway.

Kurt stopped walking away from me and sat down on a bench at the side of the path, staring ahead at a large oak tree gloomily. As I neared him I noticed that tears were rolling down his pale cheeks.

I sat down besides him once I reached the bench. He didn't show any sign that he had noticed me sitting down besides him, but continued to stare at the oak tree in front of us.

I slowly reached out and took Kurt's trembling hand that was resting on his knee, giving it a slight squeeze as I did. He blinked, his lips shaking as he stared at his lap, a few more tears rolling down his face and dripping onto his jacket.

"I'm sorry," He eventually croaked after a long silence.

"You've nothing to be sorry for," I whispered, squeezing his soft hand again.

"I was just so... scared when I saw him there," said Kurt slowly, wiping a few stray tears away with the thumb of his free hand.

I frowned at the thought of my boyfriend scaring The Boy With The Blue Eyes. I began to rub circles on his hand in a soothing motion to calm him down as I asked, "What did he do to you, Kurt?"

He shook his head, raising it to finally look me in the eye. His eyes were unusually bright with tears. "I can't tell you."

"Why not?" I asked softly.

"Because if I do then you'll either think I'm a liar or that I need to get over what happened," He said, his voice cracking again as he dropped his head to avert my gaze.

I tightened my grip on his warm hand as I said, "I'm not going to think either of those things about you, Kurt."

He opened his mouth a few times in response but no words came out until he gradually forced the words out. "He and Puckerman had been pushing me around since school began..." He whispered, reliving whatever awful drama had taken place that year. "Pushing me into lockers. Throwing me into dumpsters. Nailing my lawn ornaments to my roof. The usual stuff that happens with bullying." I nodded as he paused, his voice becoming weaker as he continued, "But then they really started to terrorize me. They smashed the windows of my Dad's car. They locked me in the janitor's closet. Taking my lunch money before school. It just got really out of hand." The sadness and anxiety in Kurt's voice was literally heartbreaking as he relived his Freshman year. "And on the rare occasion that I refused to give it to them, they would beat the crap out of me." His voice cracked again as a few more tears rolled down his cheek. I wiped them away with my thumb slowly. "And then one day, Puckerman wasn't there. It was just Finn. I tried to be brave and tell him to get lost. He got mad... He didn't hit me like Puckerman usually did." My mouth fell open as Kurt finished his story. "But then he threatened to kill me."

He began to cry again as he finished the sentence. I let go of his quivering hand and wrapped my arms around his shoulders, pulling him into me as he sobbed into my hair and held onto my arms tightly.

I don't know how long we sat like that for. I don't know if I ever stopped thinking the same thing whilst I hugged The Boy With The Blue Eyes.

What was I going to say to Finn?

I couldn't very well march up to him and start yelling accusations. I mean, he was still the love my life, nothing had changed there. But I couldn't just say nothing could I?

I still hadn't answered my own question by the time the sun was beginning to set over the trees.

I doubted I would ever be able to answer it.

**I CAN EXPLAIN.**

**So I wrote this a during the period when I wrote the last chapter. And I figured that you would all hate me for portraying Finn in such a negative light, and honestly I'm disappointed in myself as well as Finn is one of my favorite characters. Being a reasonable author I attempted to write another chapter in which Finn is portrayed in a nicer light but it came out bland and boring. **

**I can promise you all that there will be a good dosage of Finchel in the next chapter seeing as I've been holding back.**

**Okay. If you still want to flame then go ahead. I have said my piece.**

**(:**

**-Huff**

**In tribute to Cory Monteith xxxx**


	8. Finn Hudson

**Sorry I've not updated for so long guys, but I've been busy prepping for NaNoWriMo! **

**NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) Is also the reason why you will be expecting less chapters during November as I'll be busy writing for the challenge rather than for the pure fun of writing this story.**

**But be sure of this, there will eventually be some cute Furt Bromance in this story. We all love a bit of bromance don't we c':**

**As usual, your reviews and comments are appreciated (:**

**-Huff**

It was nearing seven by the time I finally pushed the door open to my apartment. I'd put Kurt in a taxi earlier to take him back to his dorm room, his spirits seemed to improve after he told me what had happened between he and Finn. I guessed that I was the first person he had ever confided his secret in.

I walked into the apartment, smiling slightly as I saw Finn tying a yellow ribbon into a bow on large gift basket that was resting on the kitchen table.

"Hey," I said quietly, the floorboards creaking beneath my feet as I walked towards him.

He looked up from the gift basket, smiling at me tepidly. "Hey."

"I was with Kurt last night," I said honestly, delicately setting my purse down on the wooden table. "And he's gay so you have absolutely nothing to worry about," I added, mainly to remind myself that Kurt liked boys rather than for Finn's peace of mind.

Finn's face relaxed somewhat at my revelation although his deep brown eyes still remained probing; suspicious.

"So you guys were talking all night?" He asked warily.

I sighed regretfully. "We just lost track of time. He loves musical theater as much as I do. I'm sure you can imagine the sheer amount of things we had to discuss."

He furrowed his eyebrows as he asked, "Why did you lie about it, Rach?"

"I thought if you knew I was going out with a boy for the night then you would take it the wrong way and -" I started defensively, partially worried he still thought something may have happened between Kurt and I.

"Just tell me the truth next time, okay?" He asked softly, his beautiful brown eyes searching as he walked around the table to meet me, his hands enveloping mine in one swift movement.

I looked up at him, smiling as I met his eyes. "I was stupid."

He shrugged, grinning teasingly as he pulled me slightly closer. "Rachel Berry admitting that she was wrong?" asked Finn in mock surprise. "What've you done with my girlfriend?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "Don't get used to it Sunshine."

He smirked at me, the way he usually did when he was about to laugh. "I love you so much you know."

I wrapped my hands around his neck as he bent down and pulled me into a short chaste kiss. He began to deepen the kiss, our lips parting slightly as I ran my tongue across his. I was silently thankful that Santana was busy with her NYADA dance class as he ran his hand across my hip. We eventually broke apart.

"I love you more." I giggled, savoring the usual smell of cinnamon that surrounded Finn. I cast a glance at the massive gift basket taking up most of the table. "Whose that for anyway?"

His handsome grin disappeared at the mention of the basket. "Your friend Kurt. I figured I would need baked goods on side for him to accept my apology."

I bit my lip, hoping that Finn wouldn't notice my change in behavior. For a minute I had been able to forget what he had done and to relish in the happiness of making up with my boyfriend.

I turned my head to look at him again. I expected to see the side of his face but instead I saw a pair of brown eyes staring at me in shock.

"He told you didn't he?"

I fought back the urge to shake my head."Yes."

"You know I didn't mean it, Rach!" said Finn defensively, catching me by surprise a little bit. I quickly regained my composure. "I was fourteen! I was stupid and idiotic and -"

"I know," I whispered, raising a finger to his lips in the hopes that he would calm down. "I know that you're not like that. And that's why I'm going to help you with your apology."

* * *

By the time Santana arrived home it was pitch black outside. Well, as pitch black as it could possibly be in New York. She immediately slumped down on the couch besides me, yawning tiredly as she stared at the TV commercials.

"So what happened to Lady Hummel?"

I shrugged, unsure of whether or not I should tell Santana about earlier. "He just got a bit spooked. He's fine now."

Santana nodded but whatever she was about to say next was cut off by the sound of my phone ringing.

_DING DONG THE WITCH IS DEAD -_

I hastily answered my phone as Santana roared with laughter.

"That's the gayest ring tone I think I've ever heard!"

"Who is it, honey?" Finn asked over the hiss of vegetables being fried on the stove. He'd kindly agreed to make dinner for us all tonight, and I was fairly impressed that nothing had caught on fire. Yet.

"Tina," I replied, jumping up off of the couch and heading towards the front door. "She needs to talk to me about Mike. She thinks he's cheating on her or something."

"That doesn't sound like Mike." Finn frowned, turning away from the stove to watch me.

I shrugged as I opened the front door. "Tell that to Tina."

I walked towards the elevator, making sure I was carefully out of earshot before I spoke into the phone.

"Blaine Warbler," I mused, pushing the button for the elevator.

By the time he answered me I had already stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the roof.

"Rachel Berry," He said. "A little bird told me that Kurt saw Finn today."

I rolled my eyes but thankfully Blaine couldn't see that. "And I'm assuming this little bird – or more appropriately, Warbler - is Kurt?"

"Actually... No. Your friend Santana can be quite helpful when she's not firing insults at people and their hair."

I gasped in surprise. No way would Santana phone Blaine Warbler. How would she even know about him unless they had met prior to New York?

"You're kidding."

"And then I spoke to Kurt. He didn't stop going on about you and how kind you are. I've never heard him speak so highly of someone."

I blushed, a small smile creeping onto my lips as the elevator doors opened on the highest floor of the apartment block. "Well that's very sweet."

Blaine Warbler sighed audibly. "I'm coming to New York next week. I need to talk to you about him."

I began walking up the dark concrete stairs to the roof, my eyebrows knitted as I asked why.

"I... I think you may be under false impressions as to who Kurt is, Rachel," He said hesitantly, obviously choosing his words extremely carefully.

"And who is Kurt?" I mused, An image popped into my brain of Kurt wearing a superhero mask and cape causing me to wonder whether Blaine was going to tell me he was a superhero. I restrained a giggle at the thought.

"Gay," Blaine said steadily. "Tight pants. Moisturizing routine. Tom Ford's new collection. The list is endless."

I pulled the door to the roof open, pulling my cardigan slightly tighter around me as I stepped onto the top of the building. A slight breeze caused me to shudder as the fire door swung shut behind me.

"I get it," I said playfully. "He's high class gay. I completely understand."

"I'm not sure you do. The way you talk about him is understandable. But the way _he_ talks about _you_ is just damn right unsettling."

I bit my lip, peering down the side of the building to the street lamps lining the sidewalk. The city truly did looked magical from up above. I would have to bring Kurt up here some time. Finn – I would have to bring Finn up here some time.

Blaine Warbler was messing with my mind.

"...And how does he talk about me?"

"As if you're perfect. Like you couldn't do anything wrong. He's only known you for two weeks and he's practically obsessed," He snorted. "Although, you've only known _him _for two weeks and you're already stalking his exes."

I noticed smoke had started to stream from one of the windows below. I also heard a few yells from a familiar Latino voice. I fought back a laugh as I heard a fire extinguisher being used. Take out for tonight then.

"Very funny. And I was just mildly -"

"-Very-" said Blaine Warbler quickly.

"-Curious as to who you were. And I look forward to finally meeting the infamous Blaine Anderson next week."

I could practically hear Blaine rolling his dark chocolate brown eyes. "Next week, Rachel Berry."

"I'll see you next week, Mr. Anderson," I drooled in a bad impression of the Agent from The Matrix.

**In tribute to Cory Monteith xxxxxxxxxx**


	9. Starlight Diner

**Writing for NaNoWriMo is going well! Despite the fact I was recently made aware that you CAN write Fanfiction for NaNo which I was rather annoyed about. Although I am thoroughly enjoying writing about my Dystopian society. **

**On another note and in reply to a few of your reviews...**

**To KicktheCJ:**

**Firstly, thanks for the review and supporting the story - thanks to anybody who supports my story - It really does mean a lot to me (: Also, you suggested I should add some Warbler's into the mix. In a few chapters time we're going to see Dalton and Kurt in all of his pride and glory. I'm going to particularly enjoy writing that chapter! :D**

**To Vicensisa:**

**Thanks for the detailed review, I prefer to know if you guys aren't happy with the story rather than remaining unaware. Although in reply to you question concerning Kurt's sexuality I can tell you I'm not entirely sure myself. **

**When I originally wrote this story I wrote it with Hummelberry in mind, yet since I have continued it I've become less sure how this story is going to end. Knowing my wicked mind, Hummelberry most likely will happen at some point although it could be as something as small as a quick kiss to a full blown relationship. **

**I've no idea. It could end with Finchel. It could end with Hummelberry. Maybe I'll just compromise and end with Dantana. Ah, but then Brittana fans aren't going to be happy. **

**I suppose you can't please everybody can you?**

**I've nothing else to add except if I didn't mention your review it's not because I don't care. I really do. It always makes me smile when I read a review even if your flaming me with no mercy. So do not be discouraged! All reviews are appreciated (:**

**Hope you enjoy the chapter, and I hope you DID read my incredibly long AN.**

**-Huff xxx**

"She's going to – NO DON'T LOOK IN THE CLOSET!" The Boy With The Blue Eyes yelled at his laptop screen that was playing _Scream 4_. It had been four days since the whole Finn/Kurt incident and tonight was one of the rare opportunities I got to spend with the Warbler. We'd decided on a quiet night in his dorm room with a few good movies. We were huddled together on his bed, his arm around my shoulders pulling me into him. There wasn't a whole lot of room on the small bed so we'd had to settle for practically laying on top of each other.

"_I never said I was in your closet,_" Ghost Face said wickedly.

I screamed loudly, burying my face in Kurt's shoulder as it flashed to Ghost Face jumping out of the other girl's closet brandishing a butcher's knife.

"WILL YOU TWO KNOCK IT OFF?!" Sebastian yelled, flicking the light switch on and opening the navy blue curtain that separated the two boys' rooms.

I looked up innocently at Kurt's nemesis who at that moment looked as if he could slap on a Scream mask and reenact the movie in the most brutal fashion.

"You're right," agreed Kurt politely, sitting forward to pause the movie. "I was considering putting on _West Side Story_ instead."

Sebastian growled at the pair of us, shutting the curtain in one swift motion.

I'd grown to enjoy annoying Kurt's room mate.

"I love West Side Story," I admitted honestly as Kurt lay back down beside me.

Kurt smiled at me, the corners of his lips creasing like the always did. I really did love his smile.

"You were a truly exquisite Maria. Natalie Wood could have learned a thing or two."

I gasped in surprise. I'd had no idea that Kurt had seen me in McKinley's production of West Side Story.

"You came to see me?"

"Well I had to go stake out the competition, didn't I?" He said fiendishly. "See what kind of talent we were up against. That blonde guy with the big lips was a good Tony as well," He added kindly.

"I'm sure Sam would appreciate the compliment," I said merrily. "So, what did you think? I'm sure you payed great attention to detail, being a spy after all."

Kurt paused, glancing at his laptop screen which he had paused on an image of a girl being violently hacked to death by Ghost Face. Charming.

He turned back to me, smiling as he said, "It was just your average lack luster high school play, if I'm honest." I narrowed my eyes at him and his overly high expectations. "Except Maria. Maria was simply fantastic to watch."

I smiled widely at his compliment until he said, "Sadly, she also shined when she snuck into Dalton dressed up as a boy. Perhaps she should of turned down the star quality for that little adventure."

"You saw me?" I asked, my mind wandering back to the day I had snuck into the all boy school under the instruction of Quinn Fabray to spy on the Warblers.

He rolled his beautiful blue eyes. We were sat remarkably close to one another allowing me to see that his eyes weren't entirely blue. More like turquoise with a hint of gray and glitter.

"We shared a brief conversation before I went all Katy Perry on you."

I gasped, remembering the day in full detail. I had barely even remembered The Boy With The Blue Eyes after that day, I had been too preoccupied with stressing out about the Warbler's talent.

I walked down the marble stairs, straightening my maroon red tie as a whole bunch of cute boys raced down the stairs in front of me. I carefully observed them all through my black Prada sunglasses until I decided to take them off to avoid suspicion.

"Excuse me?" I asked a boy who was walking down the stairs in front of me in a deep voice. He turned around, looking at me as if he couldn't believe his eyes. "Could I ask you a question? I'm new here?"

The brown haired boy tried to restrain a grin as he held out his hand kindly. "My name's Kurt."

I smiled at him. This boy was rather handsome what with his gelled up hair, turquoise eyes and his smile. His smile was simply gorgeous.

"Robert," I lied, shaking his hand cautiously. His hands felt unusually soft. I'd never felt such soft hands before. "So what exactly is going on?" I asked, looking around at all of the boys streaming down the staircase.

"The Warblers!" Kurt said excitedly, his blue eyes sparkling as he looked at me. "Every now and then they throw an impromptu performance in the Senior Commons. Tends to shut the school down for a while." He looked down the hallway all of the students were racing down with a look of authority.

"So wait..." I asked looking at the hallway he was staring down, clearly puzzled by what he'd just said. "The Glee club here is kind of... cool?"

"The Warblers are like... Rockstars," said Kurt happily, turning back to me as he straightened his leather satchel that was hanging on his shoulder.

I raised my eyebrows at him in surprise. I couldn't fathom a Glee club ever being considered cool.

"Come on," Kurt said enthusiastically, grabbing my hand once again as he pulled me down the remainder of the staircase. "I know a short cut."

I opened my mouth to say something, but I decided to go with it. I was here to spy after all, and this boy seemed to know enough about Dalton. And he was gorgeous. That was a plus.

I allowed him to lead me down an empty corridor, holding his strangely soft hand as I followed him.

Dalton looked so different compared to McKinley. Every room had a pouffe in it or some kind of soft seating arrangement as well as marble floors and podiums and fancy stuff that you would think you'd only see in a country manor.

Kurt opened the oak wooden doors in front of us, revealing a large room crowded with his fellow classmates who were moving furniture to the side of the room to allow more people to fill into the 'Senior Commons'.

"Oh," I muttered, looking at all of the boys uniform and down at my black military jacket. "I stick out like a sore thumb."

"Well next time don't forget your jacket, New Kid," said Kurt teasingly, playing with the collar of my military jacket. "You'll fit right in." He winked at me, patting my arm gently. "Now if you'll excuse me," He said politely as the Warbler's behind him began to sing.

He walked into the middle of the room, dancing around a boy with oiled back jet black hair for a minute before he began to sing Katy Perry's _Teenage Dream_.

He had stared at me throughout the entire performance. I couldn't help but think he either knew I was a girl or he was dedicating this song to me. Most likely both. Thinking back to it I'd been smiling stupidly at him completely enthralled by his voice and his face. He pointed a lot as he had sung. Mainly at me.

I knew I was smitten with Kurt Warbler when I started tapping my foot to the music and laughing as he looked at me dramatically causing me to giggle quietly. Although maybe it was when he had begun to end the song and I had held his gaze for what seemed like an eternity.

Sadly, I hadn't seen Kurt Warbler again. He hadn't taken the lead during competitions but rather the boy with the oiled black hair. Neither had Kurt been part of the group who had confronted me of being a spy after his performance. I'd remembered Kurt Warbler's face for around a month until I finally began to forget about the cute boy who had sung a Katy Perry song to me.

"I can't believe I forgot about that!" I yelled in surprise as the memory flooded back to me.

Kurt laughed quietly. "It was the last time I did the lead vocals."

"How come? You were extraordinary! I loved all of the pointing as well," I added. "You made me feel very special seeing as you knew I was spying on you."

He snorted at my comment. "They discovered just how magical Blaine's voice was," He said venomously, clearly jealous of his ex boyfriend.

"Speaking of Blaine..." I said, remembering the conversation Blaine Warbler and I had shared four night ago. "He told me he's coming to New York next week."

"Still gossiping about my tragic good looks behind my back I see?"

"Narcissistic much?" I asked humorously.

He cast my comment aside effortlessly. "We'll all have to go out and compare notes on the best ways to sabotage show choirs," said Kurt fondly. "My favorite is a Michael Jackson war. That was brilliant."

I nodded at the idea, although I had a suspicion Blaine Warbler wanted to speak to me without Kurt looking over our shoulder's some time next week.

"Sounds fabulous, Darling," I said in my best impression of Richard Hammond which was terrible. I guessed Sam would have been proud of all of my terrible impressions lately. "How about we order some Chinese food to go with these deeply disturbing murders?" I cast another glance at the paused image of Ghost Face hacking away at the innocent high school student.

"I can't," said Kurt sadly, as if he'd wanted nothing more than to order take out and watch some more viscous homicides. "I've got no money until pay day tomorrow."

I raised my eyebrows at him, slapping his arm as best I could in the confined space. "You don't have to pay, moron."

"You payed for the coffees last time," He said slowly. "It's only fair that I pay for the food this time."

"Kurt. Coffee is a lot cheaper than pizza and Chinese food."

"WOULD YOU TWO SHUT UP?" screamed Sebastian from the other side of the room. "I DON'T CARE WHO PAYED FOR WHAT!"

I think Kurt and I both rolled our eyes at precisely the same moment.

"How come you don't have any money then?" I pressed curiously, ignoring Sebastian who groaned audibly as he heard my voice. "I thought you worked at Vogue."

"I do – But fetching coffees all day and occasionally proposing new ideas to your boss doesn't exactly pay well," explained The Boy With The Blue Eyes. "Especially when you spend all of your money ordering expensive cream cheese and salmon bagels and Mocha's every morning."

"Then stop coming to the Diner every day! You even admitted to me that the bagels aren't that good!" I laughed, uncertain as to why Kurt still turned up every morning for his usual order despite the fact we were practically best friends now.

"Because," He said, his eyes sparkling as he poked me in my side. "It's fun to watch you waiting on me and being all professional. Maria is also a brilliant waitress, might I add."

"And Mr. Warbler is a lousy tipper," I scoffed.

He laughed his usual hearty laugh. I smiled as his laugh filled my ears, it was by far an improvement to the screams of Ghost Face's unsuspecting victims.

And then a thought occurred to me. A crazy thought. A wonderful thought.

"Come work at the Starlight Diner," I said, slowly coming around to the idea of working with The Boy With The Blue Eyes.

Kurt raised his perfectly waxed eyebrows at me, a doubtful look plastered across his fair face. "You're crazy," He said frankly.

"You're short of money. Gunther's looking for someone to pick up a few shifts... It's perfect."

He looked around the room, paying particular notice to his lampshade before he turned back to face me, a wild smile spread across his lips and a mischievous sparkle to his turquoise/gray eyes. Seriously, I was considering asking Kurt to wear sunglasses whenever he was with me. I got lost in his eyes too quickly.

"Only as long as we get to do a duet from _Wicked_ for my first performance."

**In tribute to Cory Monteith xxxxxxxxxx**


	10. Gunther

**Yes, hello, I HAVE RETURNED!**

**So much to talk about... So little time... I guess we'll start with an apology, always a good way to kick things off.**

**I'm sorry I haven't updated this story in so long, I've been considerably busy with NaNoWriMo among other things. So, this chapter is long over due... But you have it now so I hope you enjoy it :)**

**Secondly, I've had a rather fantabulous new idea for a Glee story! It'll be from Rachel's POV once again but it'll be set in junior year. I've already decided that after I finish "Covert Operations" or "The Seven Step Guide to Getting Over Your Gay Best Friend" I'll post the first chapter. It'll feature some original poetry by yours truly c;**

**Thirdly, I'VE JOINED TUMBLR! I love just how large the Hummelberry community is on there, I really do. I'll be posting all of my fanfics on there as well as here, so if you want to follow me, my URL is Huff-The-Puff. Pretty simple eh?**

**FOURTHLY AND FINALLY, I've had some pretty cute fluffy ideas for this story that I'm going to act upon. The only thing that is slightly bothering me is that I've had all of these lovely ideas yet I'm still unsure of when or how I'd like it to end. So it looks like this story is probably no where near finishing for now... **

**I think that's it. Wow. So much to talk about.**

**Oh, and in reply to ****Gleeeeeeeeeeeeek:**

**Are you implying that Kurt has a crush on Rachel or just that he really likes her? **

**It's only been implied that Kurt is very fond of Rachel. Nothing has been said about a crush :) **

**Thanks for all of the reviews! They really make my day (:**

**-Huff xxx**

* * *

Getting Kurt a job at the Starlight Diner had been considerably easy in comparison to Santana and I's challenging interviews. So obviously I was suspicious Gunther had ulterior motives when it came to Kurt's involvement in his business.

"I have this friend," I said on a late Friday night to the owner. "Kurt Hummel and he desperately needs a job - I was wondering if there are any vacancies here?"

Gunther narrowed his dark brown eyes at me, wiping the bar down as he asked in his accented English, "Is he the one who wears the purple trousers?"

I mentally rolled my eyes. "Yes."

"Okay," He said finally after a moment of pondering the idea. "But only because he keeps you on your toes. He starts Monday."

I mean, what was that even supposed to mean? He keeps me on my toes? I was probably looking too much into it, but I could swear that whenever I had taken Kurt's order, Gunther had been staring at us like he would his favorite television program.

"Are you ready for me?" asked Kurt teasingly, walking out of the back confidently in a black and red lined shirt on Sunday night. He'd rolled the collar of his shirt up reminding me of Danny from _Grease, _he was also swinging a dish rag in his hand adding to the imagery.

I grinned widely at The Boy With The Blue Eyes, clapping my hands together in excitement while Santana looked completely dumbstruck by it all.

"I'm sorry, what is Lady Hummel doing here?" Santana said over her tall box of Yeast-A-Stat that she had received from doing a commercial earlier in the week.

"Working," He replied, jumping up onto the bar causally. I leaned towards him to straighten his very own "Hi, my name is Kurt!" badge. "Vogue dot Com doesn't pay, and I need some more money to move out of the NYADA dorms."

Santana wrestled with the thought for a moment about working with Kurt before she allowed a smile to rest on her face. "Why don't you come live with us?" She asked, excitement slowly creeping into her voice. I noticed Kurt's smile evaporate instantly. "We could draw on your face while you slept."

"As tempting as that sounds, I don't think it's the best idea."

Having Kurt's best interest at heart, I thoroughly agreed with him. Finn hadn't apologized to Kurt yet and part of me doubted he would even be able to get in close proximity of him. And I figured that sleeping under the same roof as the man who had threatened his life wouldn't do much to improve his spirits.

"We could add another room! That's why the magical curtains are so magical!" Santana said excitedly, rapidly coming around to the idea of living with The Boy With The Blue Eyes.

"Thanks, Santana," He said firmly, wiping the menus down in his pale hand with the dish rag. "But fours a crowd. I'd rather not."

The Latino's shoulders slumped as Kurt knocked back her idea. "Fine," She snapped. "I don't want to live with you anyway. You'd probably take up all of the room on the bathroom shelves with your different assortments of moisturizers."

Kurt snorted at the thought, setting another freshly polished menu down on the counter. "I'm not a prune, Santana," He said playfully. "I would only take up one – perhaps two shelves in your bathroom with my products."

"See?" I looked at Santana over the cookie display case I was gradually filling with freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. "Kurt understands the importance of moisturizing."

"There is no importance to moisturizing!" argued Santana for the hundredth time

"Our skin is like our paint brush _and_ our canvas," said Kurt, echoing Brody almost perfectly.

I narrowed my eyes at The Boy With The Blue Eyes as he snatched a cookie from the open display case I was slowly filling.

"What?" He asked, his eyes widening as he noticed my expression. "I'll pay for it." He shrugged.

"I thought you had no money?"

"Oh yeah – I forgot cookies cost an arm and a leg in this place," replied Kurt, taking another bite of the freshly baked cookie.

"Awh," squealed Santana, watching Kurt and I intently. "You two are like an old married couple."

"A fabulous old married couple," corrected Kurt.

I rolled my eyes at the pair of them, forcing my eyes away from Kurt who was now gnawing on his cookie whilst he wiped the crumbs off of the menus he was supposed to be polishing.

"So, Yeast-A-Stat?" I asked, tapping the box in front of Santana gently.

The Latino groaned heavily. "Whose toxic vagina even produces that much yeast?" She asked. "If you're making that much yeast you should probably start a bakery."

"Oh – Did you hear about Santana's news?" I asked Kurt, remembering that I hadn't told him about Santana's commercial advertising Yeast-A-Stat.

The Boy With The Blue Eyes raised his eyebrows at me. "That Santana doesn't have a yeast infection?"

"Yeah, I'm pleased for you." I smiled, patting the Latino on the back gently.

She thanked me with a look that said "I'll shove this box of Yeast-A-Stat down your throat if you carry on".

"What are you guys doing for Thanksgiving then?" Kurt asked causally, dusting his hands off as he finished his cookie.

I shrugged unknowingly. I hadn't really made any plans this Thanksgiving, I'd probably just end up sitting indoors with Finn and Santana whilst we watched musicals.

"Nothing that I'm aware of." I glanced at Santana quickly for conformation that she hadn't made any plans either. She gave me a look that clearly said no. "Did you have anything in mind?"

Kurt shook his head sadly. "Hopefully spending as much time away from Sebastian as possible."

I sighed, closing the newly filled cookie display case. "Here," I murmured, taking the newly polished menus out of Kurt's pale hand. "I'll go set these up."

"I'll join you -" Santana said quickly, glancing at me carefully. "Hummel – Fill up the ketchup bottles."

"You're not my boss, Santana."

"Are you sure about that?" She winked, following me towards the front door of the Diner, taking half of the menu's out of my hands. "So what's going on between you and Lady Hummel?" She probed once Kurt was out of ear shot.

I set one of the menu's down on the first table, straightening the salt and pepper shakers as I replied, "We're just good friends."

"Please," chided the Latino, placing a menu down on a nearby table herself. "That's not how good friends behave."

"And how are we behaving?" I asked dully.

"Well, whenever you talk to him you look at his lips every five seconds and when you're not looking he stares at you like he's worried you might do a vanishing act and disappear. Definitely not how good friends behave," Santana explained causally, as if you just accuse your room-mate of having a crush on her gay friend everyday.

"You're endlessly entertaining to have around Santana." I laughed, setting another menu down gently.

Santana tutted, resting her hands on her hips as she looked me up and down. "I've come to enjoy having Lady Hummel around," She commented. "So don't mess it up with your little romance."

"Kurt and I are friends, Santana," I said firmly, glancing up at her. "He's also gay. He's extremely gay. There's more of a chance of something happening between him and Gunther."

I felt my heart drop suddenly as the words escaped my mouth. I wasn't sure why. After all, I didn't have a crush on Kurt. I was fond of him, yes. But a crush? Definitely not.

I glanced over my shoulder, catching a glimpse of The Boy With The Blue Eyes. He swung his legs playfully as he stared solemnly at the empty ketchup bottle he was filling, his sparkling blue eyes staring at the red bottle intently. I turned back to the menus in my hand before he caught me staring.

Okay, maybe I was slightly attracted to him, but that wasn't a crush. That was just a slight attraction that would probably go away as time went on.

"I guess love at first sight really does exist," Santana said quietly.

I barely even had time to comprehend the ludicrous thought Santana had just mouthed before my attention was diverted to a familiar looking dark haired boy marching through the doors of the diner.

He wolf whistled loudly as he walked towards Kurt who had just looked up over his ketchup bottle.

"Nice place," said Blaine, ignoring Santana and I as he walked past us.

"BLAINE!" Kurt yelled excitedly, jumping off of the counter and racing towards his fellow Warbler who greeted him fondly with a hug. "I thought you weren't coming until tomorrow!" He said, pulling away from the other Warbler for a second to make sure that he hadn't been dreaming.

"I wanted to surprise you! It's so good to see you, Dalton sucks without you, Kurt."

"You've no idea how much I missed you," revealed Kurt honestly, making my heart drop for some unfathomable reason. "We'll have to -" Kurt was cut off short by his ring tone. _DING DONG THE WITCH IS DEAD, DING DONG THE WICKED –_ He apologized to Blaine, rushing out back to the kitchen to answer the call.

I caught Santana's eye once Kurt had disappeared into the back. I fought back a small smile, I wondered how long Kurt and I had shared the same ring tone.

"Blaine Devon Anderson," Santana said contently, marching towards Blaine who had seated himself in one of the booths while Kurt answered his phone.

I followed her tensely, sitting down besides the Latino while she went on to make fun of Blaine's oiled hair.

"It's just so great to see you again, Santana," He said sarcastically after Santana was finally done comparing Blaine's hair to the skin of a wet seal. "So you must be Rachel." He looked at me, his deep brown eyes searching as he held out his hand.

I took it, shaking it politely. I noticed just how rough Blaine's hands felt in comparison to Kurt's as I pulled away.

"It's an honor to meet the infamous Blaine Warbler," I said playfully, my eyes darting down towards Blaine's flamboyant polka dot bow tie before returning his watchful gaze.

"Infamous?" He asked questioningly.

"It means famous for all the wrong reasons, Borat," Santana explained scathingly.

"Like you and your porno?" asked Blaine, a mischievous glint in his eye.

Santana's mouth dropped as she was reminded of the porno that her ex girlfriend, Brittany had made a few years earlier. I'd never watched it, but I knew that plenty of people had

"I can't believe I ever dated you," growled Santana, crossing her arms tightly as she sat back in her seat.

"You two dated?" I asked confusedly, looking from Santana to Blaine. "I thought you were both gay."

"It was only for a week in Junior year," said Blaine, his eyes never wavering from Santana's. "We kissed at a party while playing Spin the Bottle."

"You're full of surprises today, aren't you Santana?" I raised my eyebrows at the Latino who narrowed her eyes at me in return.

"It was just my Dad," said Kurt, sitting down besides Blaine happily. "He wants me to go back to Lima for two weeks – Apparently he's got some news."

"Good news, right?" asked Blaine, smiling at Kurt a little too long.

He nodded. "He sounded happy. He also wanted to know if you'd got here alright."

"And what did you say?"

"That you got here in one big handsome piece, so we're fine." Kurt laughed, putting his cellphone back in his pocket. For some reason I didn't particularly like Kurt's laugh at that moment. It felt like somebody treading on my heart.

"I've only popped in for a minute," Blaine said softly. I caught Santana's eye, she seemed to be annoyed by their conversation as well. They hadn't looked at either of us since Kurt had sat down.

"My cab is waiting outside. Haven't even been to the hotel yet."

"Well, you go unpack and I'll come round later?" proposed Kurt, scooting out of the booth as Blaine made to stand up.

"It's a date." Blaine grinned, kissing The Boy With The Blue Eyes on the cheek lightly before he walked out of the diner.

A rather large portion of my brain wondered what it would feel like to throttle Blaine Warbler.

Kurt smiled at Santana and I, a small blush creeping onto his face as he turned to walk back to the bar to finish refilling the ketchup bottles.

"I hate that boy," snapped Santana, staring at the doorway which Blaine had just walked through. "He's obviously got some weird type of vendetta against Hummelberry."

I raised my eyebrows at the Latino. "Hummelberry?"

"Or Kurtchel. You'll have to discuss which name you'd prefer with Lady Hummel."

**In tribute to Cory Monteith xxxxx**


	11. Call Backs

**WOOO CHRISTMAS.**

**And now that we're on the topic of Christmas, I have a few questions!**

**Do you guys have any good ideas for Christmas presents? I'm all out -.- Have a date with the brother tomorrow (Definitely not incestuous. That is just gross in over a hundred different ways) and the only present idea is V for Vendetta masks for everybody. As you can see, my imagination is failing me at a crucial moment. If you guys have any ideas PLEEEASE leave them in your review or message me them privately (:**

**Reviews and criticism are appreciated. They're appreciated ****_a lot_**** c:**

**-Huff wishing you a HAPPY HOLIDAY! xxx**

* * *

It was only Wednesday afternoon and I already hated Blaine Warbler.

Okay granted, we hadn't really spoken since I had seen him on Sunday night but I swear to God that he was actually _trying_ to make me jealous of he and Kurt. Why he would think I would be jealous I didn't know. Because I didn't care who Kurt flirted with. Obviously.

But it really did drive me over the edge when I took Blaine Warbler's order on Wednesday. Kurt had been off serving an elderly couple, walking around in his toned down black skinny jeans. I hadn't been staring, that much I was positive of. I may have had a few quick glances but staring? Definitely not...

"What can I get you?" I sighed quietly, positioning my bull point pen over my notepad.

"A conversation with Rachel Berry?" He asked charismatically, his puppy dog eyes pleading.

I huffed, sitting down opposite Blaine Warbler as I yelled, "I'm taking an intermission!"

He raised his dark bushy eyebrows at me. "Intermission?"

"We have to say it or we get fined," I said informatively, setting my notepad and pen down carefully on the polished table. "Now, what's so urgent that you need to talk to me about?"

"I think we both know the answer to that question," said Blaine, glancing at Kurt who was standing across the room trying to explain to the same elderly couple what a mocha consisted of.

"And we both know that nothing is going on between Kurt and I," I replied drearily. This topic had been breached far too many times since Sunday night by Santana who was (thankfully) at her NYADA dance class today. Although, it seemed when Santana wasn't there to lecture me about how I was (according to her) madly in love with The Boy With The Blue Eyes, Blaine simply took her place.

"I just want to let you know that Kurt and I are going to be getting back together," He said quickly, fumbling with his thumbs nervously.

I should have felt happy. Happy that Kurt was happy. But I didn't. I definitely wasn't happy that Kurt and Blaine's relationship had somehow rekindled over the few days Blaine had been in New York. I briefly considered wrapping my hands around Blaine's neck and strangling him before I remembered that was illegal. And insane.

"Wow," I said, fake happiness seeping into my voice like some kind of poison. "That's great news."

Blaine smiled at me genuinely. "I'm just over the moon. I thought you should know – Just in case you _do_ have any unresolved feelings for him."

I shook my head, my heart hammering heavily in my chest. "Of course not, he's all yours. Completely. Absolutely. Is that everything?"

"Yeah, I think -" Blaine started, a dopy smile plastered onto his face.

"Hey you two," said a familiar high voice. I turned around to find Kurt standing a few inches away from us, his usual cute smile spread across his face. "What are we talking about?"

"Nothing in particular," I said quickly, grabbing my pen and notepad off of the table as I stood up. "Just NYADA."

"Speaking of NYADA – Blaine and I are going to Callbacks on Friday, do you and Santana want to come?" Kurt asked politely. "We could finally do that _Wicked_ duet you promised me."

I should of said no. I should of told him I didn't want to go to Callbacks with his stupid new boyfriend and sing show tunes with him.

But being Rachel Berry, no didn't really come into the equation when it came to Kurt Hummel.

"Sure, sounds like fun." I mentally smiled as Blaine's happy expression disappeared at the idea of sharing his beloved boyfriend with two girls.

"Great!" He beamed brightly. "Will Finn mind at all?"

I raised my eyebrows at The Boy With The Blue Eyes. He hadn't even flinched when he had said Finn's name. He just said it like he would of said anything else.

"No," I said slowly. "He works late on a Friday. He'll understand."

Kurt nodded, his eyes widening as my ring tone went off in my pocket. _DING DONG THE WITCH IS DEAD – _I hastily answered the call without checking the I.D.

"Did you change your ring tone to match mine?" asked Kurt suspiciously.

"No -" I said quickly, worried he might get the wrong impression. "I've had this ring tone since Senior year – Will you cover for me?"

He nodded, shooing me outside of the diner to answer the phone call.

"Who is it?" I asked casually, walking to the end of the block.

"Your boyfriend?" joked Finn.

I laughed, a large smile suddenly creeping onto my face. "Aren't you supposed to be working?"

"I _can_ multitask despite popular belief."

"Clearly."

"My Mom just called," He explained wearily. "She needs me to go back to Lima on the 7th for two weeks."

"How come?" I asked curiously, briefly remembering that Kurt's dad had asked the same of him on Sunday.

I could practically imagine Finn shrugging at my question. "Dunno. I wanted to know if you wanted to come with me? She did say that she wanted you to come as well but if you can't then -"

"Of course I'm going to come with you," I replied. "Although, I've no idea how we're going to pay for the flights -"

"My Mom's wired me the money," Finn said hastily. "Apparently it's urgent."

"Sounds like fun," I chided teasingly. "And what's up between you and Kurt? He seems noticeably less intimidated by you."

"I went to his dorm on Monday and apologized. He said that he's forgiven me and we can try to move on for the sake of his sanity," He explained honestly. "We're not best friends but it's a start."

"I'm so proud of you, you know that right?"

"Don't speak too soon. I've got to work over time to afford the candy cane striped Capri trousers I bought him."

I really felt like kissing or slapping Finn at that moment. Perhaps both. At the same time.

"I love you, Finn Hudson." I laughed, picturing Finn walking into a store and buying a pair of flamboyant pants.

"Not nearly as much as I love you," He replied cheerfully.

"I've got to get back to work now," I said, noticing Blaine walking out of the diner and towards the Subway.

"See you later, Rach," said Finn pleasantly, hanging up the phone on me.

I quickly strode back to the diner, picking up my notepad and pen that I had left on the counter.

I saw Kurt handing a young man in a top hat a menu. I smiled at him from across the room, though he didn't notice that. He was too busy talking to the man in the top hat.

For some incomprehensible reason, just looking at that boy made my heart swell.

And I was finding it considerably annoying.

* * *

My mouth literally dropped to the floor when I opened the front door of my apartment on Friday night. Okay, maybe not literally. That was a slight exaggeration.

"Wow," I said, my eyes widening as I looked Kurt up and down. "You look..."

"Hot," said Santana in surprise, walking out of the bathroom behind me.

I had to agree with Santana. Kurt did look particularly handsome tonight. More than usual, that is.

He was wearing a tan shirt that he had buttoned up to the golden brown collar with a pair of navy blue skinny jeans that matched the color of the breast pocket on his shirt accompanied by a golden brown corduroy jacket that he had left casually unbuttoned and polished tan dress shoes. Not to mention his hair had been tousled which looked rather strange (yet welcome) on Kurt, although I knew that every hair had been strategically placed.

"Well, it's nice to know that the opposite sex find me moderately attractive." He smiled widely, stepping past me and into my apartment. The way he looked around the apartment made me feel somewhat self conscious.

"Rachel?" He asked, his perfectly waxed eyebrows raised at me. I shook my head, turning to close the open door behind me. "Is something the matter? You were staring at me – or the lamp. I'm not entirely sure which."

My face slowly began to grow warmer. He'd noticed me staring. I could almost hear Santana smirking over in the kitchen as she sipped a glass of water.

"I was just marveling in the beauty of the lamp," I said quickly, my eyes darting from Kurt's skeptical look to the cream lampshade sat beside him. I heard Santana choke on her water as she laughed.

"It is quite a spectacular lamp," He agreed, glancing at the glowing lampshade.

"Where's Harry Potter?" asked Santana before Kurt and I could begin to compare light bulbs.

"Blaine said he'd meet us at the bar," replied Kurt. "Speaking of which, we should probably get going soon."

"Isn't Callbacks only for NYADA students?" said the Latino suddenly, setting her empty glass down in the sink for later.

Kurt shook his head as he leaned back against the couch. "It's tradition that NYADA students sing together, a tradition that tonight is going to be upheld." He shot me an award winning smile that made my heart practically melt on the spot.

"We've not even rehearsed," I pointed out, walking towards The Boy With The Blue Eyes slowly.

"Well, I being the one with the higher voice will take Glinda's lines which will leave you with Elphaba's. What's there to rehearse?" He chuckled warmly.

"What if we decide to do a song that involves Firyero? Or if we sing _Defying Gravity_?"

"Defying Gravity is a duet between Glinda and Elphaba, Rachel," He said wittingly as he made his way towards the door, closely followed by Santana who was thoroughly absorbed in our conversation.

"I've always considered it more of an Elphaba song," I said, pulling open the door for my two friends. "Unless you wanted to rearrange lines, you would barely get to sing."

"What about _What Is This Feeling_?" He asked humorously as we all stepped into the hallway.

I laughed at the idea of singing _What Is This Feeling_ with Kurt. "I don't really feel like singing about how much I loath you."

"Just sing _As Long As Your Mine_ and get it over and done with," snapped Santana, pressing the button for the elevator hastily.

"The only love song from Wicked?" He snorted, casting the idea aside without another thought. "That really only leaves _Popular_ and _For Good_, Rachel."

I stepped into the elevator, oblivious to Santana rolling her eyes as she followed me into the small box dangling above 7 stories. "I'm definitely not singing _Popular _with you. You'll take it that bit too far. I know you're dying to get into my wardrobe and burn all of my clothes."

Kurt tutted, his pale hands buried deep in his pockets as the lights above us all flickered. "Not _all_ of your clothes..." He murmured.

"_For Good _then," said Santana brightly as the debate between Kurt and I looked to be finally drawing to a close. "We have a winner."

I pursed my lips, pondering the idea of singing _For Good_ with Kurt in a karaoke bar. "I do like the idea of _Defying Gravity_ though."

Santana moaned wearily. "Just do a coin flip when the time comes."

I glanced at Kurt who shrugged at the idea, holding his hand out in agreement.

I took it, silently agreeing to leave the song selection down to a coin toss when the time came.

**Ah, so you may have noticed a few things in this chapter. Assuming you were paying attention and not just skimming mindlessly through it.**

**Firstly, Kurt, Rachel, Santana and Blainey Days are all going to Callbacks (The karaoke bar that Kurt, Rachel, Blaine and Finn all went to in the infamous "Break Up" episode) which will result in some cute Hummelberry fluff (I WILL REVEAL NO MORE!). **

**Secondly, Kurt's Dad and Finn's Mum (As you can see, us Britt's say Mum rather than Mom c;) both want them to come back to lovely Lima, Ohio for two weeks on the same date? Coincidence? I THINK NOT!**

**Okay I think that's all. **

**Oh, also, I recently realized that the Diner where Kurt, Rachel and Santana work is actually called the Spotlight Diner rather than Starlight so... Rather than change it, in this weird AU universe it's just going to be called the Starlight Diner.**

**Problems? No? Good? Done.**

**Oh, and in regards to the song "Popular" from Wicked. I think it would be absolutely fitting for Kurt to sing that to Rachel. It's literally the most perfect song for those two (':**

**Ta ta, friends.**

**-Huff xxx**

**In tribute to Cory Monteith xxxx**


End file.
